誰かの願いが叶うころ
by Jcthegirl
Summary: When Riku has recurring dreams about a mysterious black haired girl, he enlists Namine's help to restore memories- this time his own- but at what cost? Riku/Xion, Axel/Xion, Riku/Nami, Namixas, Sokai.
1. Nightmare

Update: No longer a oneshot! ;D

Inspired by 誰かの願いが叶うころ (Dareka no negai ga kanau koro/When Someone's Wish Comes True), go listen to it. :U

Disclaimer-I-forget-to-put-a-lot: I don't own the characters, only the storyline. And I don't own the song 誰かの願いが叶うころ.

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><p><em>Nightmare<br>_

Riku stood up, but didn't at the same time. There was nothing to stand on- pure nothingness formed the ground and all his surroundings. He just stood there, eyes misty behind silver hair that dangled in this face. A hazy black clad figure began to form before his clouded eyes, solidifying quickly. The completely black figure was hugging its knees with its head down, only showing short raven hair that messily hung on its knees and arms.

It made no movements as Riku stared at it, not at all curiously, only because it was the only thing to look at in that empty realm. Its sudden shudders snapped Riku from his trance, sending shivers up his spine. He made a step towards it so it was at his feet and kneeled down, extending out a hand that was ferociously swatted away by a gloved one. It looked up and Riku saw the angry face of a girl, blue eyes flashing and teeth bared like a wild animal. She growled at him loudly, glaring with all the hatred she could muster.

"Get away from me!" she screamed in fury, sharp voice echoing in the nothing.

"But I-" Riku looked down for a moment with his hand drawn back, but he extended it again regardless of the attack. "I just want to help you." He wasn't sure why he needed to help her, he just felt it.

The girl laughed, the sound of nails grating on a chalkboard. "Help?"

She laughed again. Riku gritted his teeth at the harsh sound.

"I don't need your help. I've had enough help from you."

He ignored her retorts and let the hand continue on its path to her shoulder. His finger had barely brushed the smooth edge of her coat when he suddenly found a Keyblade aimed at his chest. The girl heaved her own chest up and down heavily, head hanging against it and away from him. Her voice was low and quiet but struck at Riku like an earsplitting yell.

"I hate you."

He took a step away from the weapon whose tip was at his heart.

"Why... do you hate me?" He had never seen the girl before in his life, not that he knew of. Besides, he didn't think he had ever done something so terrible to make someone loathe him that much- with a few exceptions, but he was sure this girl was not on that list.

She looked at him with such fury that he was sure her eyes were capable of ripping him apart where he stood.

"Why? How could you not know why? Don't you know what you did? You tortured my friend!" Tears framed her pale face.

"I..." He clutched at his chest, reminding himself of what he had done in the past. "I didn't... want..."

"Didn't want to? Yes you did! And you'd do it again for Sora!" Riku's head jerked up at the mention of his best friend.

"You're just like Ansem," she hissed through her gritted teeth. "Just clawing your way through innocent lives because they're _indispensible. Purposeless. Meaningless_." She threw the Keyblade down, which disappeared in a flash instantly.

"Ansem's not the one who tortured him. You did, by just watching it happen and doing nothing about it."

Riku broke his silence in anger.

"Nothing? I was helping him return to Sora! I was just trying to get my friend back!"

"By taking away mine!" she screamed. She ran towards Riku who surprisingly did not even flinch as he was pelted with a flurry of black fists in the chest.

"I hate you... I hate you... I... hate..." Her voice and fists gradually weakened as she slid to the ground, legs on either side of her. She looked up at him, her silent crystal tears sliding down her cheeks. All previous signs of hatred seemed to be drained from her eyes with her tears.

"Just... why? And... and then him, too... He didn't have to go..."

She put one palm on the nonexistent floor to steady herself as she clutched her chest where the heart should be. Somehow regaining the fury- perhaps it was fueling her- she looked up again with all the blazing hatred as before.

"You finally help Sora, and then you wallow in the darkness because you feel sorry for yourself! You should have been there, protecting them- him! I had already lost Roxas, and if you had been there, I wouldn't have lost Axel too..." She stood up face to face with Riku, looming over him though she was much shorter. He could feel her short breaths escape through her teeth and onto his face.

"Have you ever watched a best friend die? Right in front of you, and you can't do anything about it?"

Riku stayed silent.

"Have you?" she screamed at him. Her face darkened, her eyes two glowing orbs of abhorrence.

"One day, you'll feel the pain I feel. And it will be your fault, just like it was with my friends."

Riku was frozen in place as she slowly drew the Keyblade back. With a forceful lunge, she plunged the blade into the center of his chest. Her face stayed dark and emotionless, except for her blazing eyes. Riku felt the "ground" beneath him shatter, and he fell back into a swirling abyss of black, writhing tendrils. As he was pulled into the dark mass, the girl stood over him with the Keyblade hanging at her side. Her image shattered and swirled away in a white and black mist, and everything disappeared from Riku's eyes.

Kairi and Sora sat on the edge of the paopu tree, legs swinging over the edge. Riku slowly walked over to where they sat, looking down at the uneven planks of the wooden bridge. He stood next the tree, not looking up. His arms stiffened at the sound of Sora's voice.

"What's wrong, Riku?" He could sense his friends' concerned eyes on him. He tried to brush the thoughts away and forced a smile, waving away the tension with his hand.

"Nah, it's nothing, just one of those dreams where something bad happens, but you can't remember."

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><p>I guess if you didn't really get the whole title relation thing, it's that when Riku got his wish of getting his friends back, it left Xion without hers (dareka no negai ga kanau koro ano ko ga naiteru yoWhen someone's wish comes true, she'll be crying). I just really love this song so much. C: And reviews. I love them too.


	2. Namine

So yea, I decided to make this oneshot into a real story. :D This chapter's a bit short, but I'm pretty sure they'll get longer. c: So enjoy, hopefully~_  
><em>

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><p><em>Naminé<em>

For weeks, the same nightmare haunted Riku's mind in the dead of the night. He knew it replayed itself over and over in his head, but he still could not recall the exact events. Only four words floated to the surface of his consciousness when he struggled to remember: black hair, blue eyes. He repeated it to himself. Black hair, blue eyes. Black hair, blue eyes. Who did he know that fit such a description? He wanted to know before the guilt from an unknown past deed ate him inside out like his old darkness that wormed its way into his heart. The picture that formed in his head was only of the words and held no face.

Sometimes though, when he floated somewhere between the dark and consciousness, he saw a pair of blue eyes- the ones he before only had words for. They were icy and drilled into him, pinning him against the confines of his mind. He could hear the near-silent whispers drift about. The words came out overlapped and distorted, a disturbing and haunting swirl of echoes. When he would come close to discerning the words and the owner- or owners, he wasn't sure- of the voices, he would snap back to awareness. It was the only dream, or rather nightmare, he could ever recall, and he could never place the guilt's exact source.

When the nightmares began to affect Riku's everyday behavior so he became even quieter and more introverted than usual, Sora and Kairi began to worry for his well being. They would question him constantly but received no substantial answer. Eventually they gave up on that approach and instead tried cheering him up by going to all his favorite places- mainly the beach. Riku continued on in his semi-depressed state, and the other two were forced to write it off as past guilt he did not wish to speak of. They were nearly correct, though it was both current and past to Riku, for he wasn't sure which it really was.

He figured there had to be someone out there to help him, and though Sora and Kairi were his best friends, he had the feeling that they wouldn't exactly understand his situation. The only people who he figured that would have been able to help him were both gone. Actually, one technically was still around... but perhaps the word was unavailable rather than gone. Still, trying to talk to her couldn't hurt.

"Hey, Kairi?" Riku walked up to Kairi casually, hands slung in his pockets. She turned around in her spot alone on the usual Paopu tree.

"Hmm?" When she saw who it was, she became more attentive. Riku hadn't said much after they had come back from defeating Xemnas and receiving the letter from Mickey. She fixed her bright blue eyes on him, but did not notice him flinch slightly when their eyes met. "Yea, Riku?"

"Does- well, this is going to sound like a weird question, but- Do you ever hear Namine? Like, do you feel her presence or hear her talk or anything?"

Kairi seemed surprised at the question, but not disturbed in the least.

"Actually... yea, not her talking, but her presence is there... Faint, but there." She twirled a strand of hair between her thumb and index finger somewhat shyly. "I wanted to say something about it, but I thought you guys would think I was crazy or something. I wonder if Sora feels the same with Roxas..." She looked out the sunset in thought.

"Have you tried talking to her?"

Kairi snapped out of her deep thoughts and looked at him curiously.

"No, but I guess I could try if you wanted me to."

"Could you please?" His eyes showed the pleading he did not wish to express, and Kairi consented.

"Ok, here goes..." She closed her eyes tight and concentrated as Riku watched intently. For a long minute, nothing happened as time seemed to stand still. In a brilliant flash of light that overtook everything within Riku's sight for a short moment, Kairi disappeared and someone else remained in her place. Platinum hair and cerulean eyes appeared first, a plain yet elegant white dress materializing soon after.

"Hello, Riku."


	3. Lost and Found

_Lost and Found_

"Hello, Namine."

Riku stood face to face with the Nobody who wrecked his best friend's memories, who sowed them back together piece by piece, and who he was ordered to "dispose of" because of another's deep hatred for their kind. But he didn't- he couldn't. Couldn't destroy someone as lost as he was, just searching for a way to be free. In that sense, they were the same. Was that why he spared her, or was it something else?

Riku shook his head to clear away the thoughts.

No, they weren't the same. She was pure, just like Kairi- and he was tainted. Though, they do say that opposites attract- wait, what was he thinking? She was a Nobody, which he had learned over time did not make much of a difference, but Nobodies and Somebodies were two entirely different beings not meant to interact. He put off his thoughts to address the problem at hand.

"I wanted to talk to you, Namine."

"I wanted to talk to you too, Riku."

Riku's bright eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You did?"

Namine smiled and nodded gently. "About the past. About someone you and everyone else doesn't remember, but need to remember."

"Well, first off, how am I even talking to you right now?"

"Kairi delved into herself looking for me, which woke me from my 'sleep,' so to speak. She agreed to let me come out to talk to you, like we're switching places," she explained.

"So you can't be separate, only one of you can be 'awake' at a time?"

Namine bit her lip and looked at the ground. "I don't know yet, but for now, this will be good enough."

Riku nodded. "So, about what you said earlier... I'm pretty sure I've been having dreams- well, really, nightmares about the person you're talking about."

Even Namine seemed a bit surprised about the news. "Really? What do you remember from them?"

He shook his head disappointedly, half ashamed of his incapability of remembering. "Nothing, except for the words 'black hair' and 'blue eyes' stick in my mind. A few times I saw the eyes and heard voices, but that's all."

Namine walked closer and looked up at him through his silver tresses.

"That's good Riku; it means the memories are beginning to surface. You're already starting to remember on your own." She smiled comfortingly at him again as she held her hands against where her heart should have been.

He offered a small smile in return. It soon disappeared. "Why can you remember, but I can't?"

Namine gave a sad smile. "I'm a memory witch, remember?"

"That I remember, but you need to remember- power doesn't make you anything, it's what you make of the power." He thought of her memory powers and his darkness.

_Maybe... we are alike in more ways than I thought._

"What I don't remember though... is this person in my dreams that you're talking about too."

"Her name is..." Her? So a girl.

Namine hesitated as if she was afraid the mere mention of the name would rip Riku's memories asunder.

"Xion."

The name hit Riku's head like a boulder thrown at a cliffside, loosening the rocks and pebbles of memories from their tight lodgings in the crevasses of Riku's mind. They were packed tight; only few made their way out, but it was enough for Riku to get a glimpse of Xion. He saw the same turquoise eyes that belonged to Kairi, except they seemed to be filled with the hurt and innocence of a frightened and confused child. The raven black hair brushed her pale face gently, caressing touches for the damaged child behind those eyes. The vision blurred and disappeared into darkness, soon replaced by wavering voices.

_What am I... here for?_

_So I'm like... a part of him?_

_Riku, please... Tell me more..._

_Thank you..._

_You have to stop him..._

Riku clutched his head in pain, leaning on the tree for support. Something similar had happened before, didn't it? As his hand spread across his face, he felt for the blindfold that was no longer there.

Namine's concerned eyes watched him, but she did not make a move to interfere with the dislodging of forgotten memories. As quickly as the pain had shot across his body and mind, it was gone. Riku straightened up to his full height again and looked down at Namine, who seemed relieved his moment of pain had ceased.

"Xion..." The name came off his tongue slowly, as if he was trying the syllables in his mouth to make sense of the word and who it belonged to.

"She was... there. With the- the Organization..." Both were more of questions than statements, and Namine nodded. He looked out to his left and found his gaze on the white foam below, lapping against the base of their mini island.

"But... why?"

"She was a Replica. Just like your Replica-" She looked down at her feet and held her left arm with her right hand at this- "except she absorbed memories instead of having ones to begin with."

Namine's explanation began to fill in the gaps in Riku's recollection, but sharp ripping pains accompanied it, dragging gaping holes across his mind.

"Riku!" She put a delicate hand on his shoulder and looked up at him.

"I- I'm fine," he managed, still slightly staggering.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said so much... I thought if I prodded you on with words and my power it would help you remember more easily, but I don't think you can handle me tampering with those memories. They're extremely delicate."

Riku seemed to have recovered from the pain. "Is there any way to retrieve them?"

Namine seemed unsure whether she should tell Riku the idea that had come to mind, but she decided he wouldn't give in until he found a way, so telling him was the best option.

"There is one way I think will work... but I've never done it before, at least with anyone other than me."

"Well, what is it?"

"Since I am able to tamper with memories from both inside and outside the mind, I'm pretty sure I can send you in. One unlocking his or her own memories is less dangerous than another doing it for him or her."

Another thought arose in Riku's mind.

"How long will it take? Kairi..."

"Don't worry, Riku. It should only be a few seconds, thought it will feel like hours or days even for you."

"Then send me in." Riku stood there determined, waiting for the moment she would send him to delve into his memories.

"Riku... I know you're determined, but you have to look at the possible consequences. If you're not careful, you could do a lot of damage to yourself. And there are many other things that I can't even predict that could happen. I just... don't want you taking this risk without knowing what could happen. Anything could happen."

"It's fine, as long as I'm only putting myself at risk, then I'm willing to face the consequences."

Namine looked at the determination on his face and nodded after a brief moment of hesitation.

"Ok." She closed her eyes in concentration as Kairi had done only minutes ago. The last thing Riku saw before he was entirely engulfed in light was Namine's lips move slightly.

"Good luck, Riku."


	4. Darkness

_Darkness_

Somewhere on a dark path, far from Destiny Islands and all other worlds it seemed, a weary traveler pushed through the darkness. There were no stars in the pitch black 'sky' overhead; the only source of light were the pulsing streaks along the path and the oddly shaped outcroppings. Even this pseudo-light seemed to be made of a glowing darkness. He pushed on through the lightless space as he had for countless steps. Time seemed to be lost just as he was in that shadowy realm. His boots shuffled on the dull material beneath his feet, something he would have guessed to be rock if weariness hadn't worn away curiosity. He so much wanted to stop, rest, give in, but he knew there was something for him if he kept going. He felt- a mirthless laugh nearly parted his lips- that it was his... duty to go on and that he wanted to go on. The endless days melded his mind into a jumble of thoughts, but the underlying 'feeling' that pushing forward was his goal held its place among the confused thoughts.

A near-pleasant sound reaches his ears, and he stopped for a brief moment to discern its source. The noise was gentle and soothing, with a hint of a soft grating noise that did its best to be covered by the more pleasant melodies. He stepped slowly closer and found the ocean bowing at his feet, foam waving gently as the clear blue pressed itself against the sand. He watched the two intertwine and pull away in a constant cycle, letting all thoughts go to be at peace for the moment. In his concentration on the ocean's lullaby, he did not notice two companions seated on the beach, one on the wet sand and the other on a weathered rock. A familiar, deep voice penetrated the sea's song.

"It seems this has become a common spot to rest for weary travelers such as yourself. I used to think I would not get visitors often." The voice chuckled in such a friendly manner he was not alarmed by the sudden disruption. He slowly turned to face the voice's owner. He saw the black hood hiding the man's face.

"Who are you?" His voice was carried on the waves, perhaps on its way to some distant shore.

The man kept the silence for what seemed like an eternity- but there, time did not matter. It was only a relevant term; nothing happened in the dark stretches that held them captive, so time could not truly pass.

The cloaked man spoke with a tone of regret and sadness.

"I am the source of your misery and pain."

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><p>Riku found himself in a blank, white room similar to those of Castle Oblivion with countless doors sticking in the walls at every angle. When he took a second glance, he realized that the room was not pure white. Streaks of black mingled with white on the floor and doors, meaning the entire room was covered- or infested, as Riku would put it- with black stripes. The shadows pulsed periodically, as if to the beating of a heart. Some doors were more black than white, and others more white than black.<p>

"Namine? Namine, can you hear me?"

Riku's voice echoed throughout the huge room.

"Yes, I can." Namine's disembodied voice came from somewhere above his head. "This is the crossroad for all your memories. Everything is stored behind those doors. You can access any memory, as long as it's not locked, from here. I don't know how long I can keep you in here, so I suggest you find the memories you need as quickly as you can."

Riku nodded in no particular direction, feeling awkward with no one to nod to right in front of him. "Got it. Thanks, Namine."

"Be careful, Riku." Her voice began to fade. "Memories are dangerous things..."

Once Namine's presence disappeared, Riku took a better look around for the door he needed. When he saw hundreds of doors staring back at him, many looking the same, he threw back his head to give a loud groan and caught something on the ceiling in the corner of his eye. He stopped mid-groan and walked to the spot right beneath it, head still leaned back to look up. The door that had caught his eye had broken silver chains dangling from all over it. The dark streaks on it pulsed sporadically unlike all the other doors in the room.

"Now how do I get up there...?" he wondered aloud to no one in particular. Suddenly, the black and white marble beneath him gave a shuddering tremble. The entire room shifted onto its side so the door was upright, and Riku drifted gently to the new floor. The doors he stood on slid towards the old floor and positioned themselves at random, so it seemed. Riku walked to the chained door cautiously, waiting for the walls to move once more or the door to shift away.

"Well, this is _my_ 'memory crossroad;' I wouldn't think I'd get hurt _here_ at least..."

With that, he took a last step towards the door. His hand had barely touched the handle and it flew open.


	5. What Lies Beneath

_What Lies Beneath_

When the door swung open and light washed over his body, Riku waited expectantly to be flooded with memories of the past. Instead, the engulfing light flew before him and transformed into a bright, swirling mist that materialized into figures of the past. Close-knit buildings formed from their bases up, brick by brick in a random manner. The ground flew out in all directions from where Riku stood with a loud whoosh. A red-tinted sky speckled with sun-washed clouds spread its warm reaches above. Everything was nearly complete save for a bare space before Riku. A towering building sprouted out of the mist to reveal a giant clock, shingled roof, and brass bells. Lastly, a black speck formed on the ledge above the complicated clock, sitting with legs dangling over the edge.

Riku took a look around him to find the rest of his memory of Twilight Town bare of people. He looked to the tower's top again and figured the entrance to the high ledge would be within the station. He ran through the glass doors and towards the stairs leading their way up the clock tower.

After countless flights of stairs spiraling around the tower's interior, Riku found himself overlooking a red-orange sunset. He found himself lost in it- it looked just like the one on the islands.

"Riku." A girl's voice reached his ears, and he turned to face its source. There was no surprise in or hidden in the statement; it was more of a welcoming hello than anything.

He found the one who had been haunting his dreams as he now realized sitting before him on the ledge, serenely watching the same sunset and eating a bar of sea salt ice cream- Xion. She had the same raven hair and sapphire eyes as in his nightmares, except now those orbs did not bore into him and pin him down, and her hair waved in the fresh breeze instead of hanging limply around a pallid complexion. Her eyes were welcoming and invited him to sit beside her, as did her hand and soft smile.

He settled next to her slowly. Another ice cream appeared in her hand, and she handed it to him with a smile. He took it appreciatively and looked at it curiously.

Riku remembered her telling him all about the ice creams she shared with her friends those days they travelled together. The way her eyes had sparkled when she had told him how they spent hours together just laughing and eating ice cream proved to him that she really did love them. When did these memories come back? He clutched his chest with his free hand. He had taken away all that.

"Do you hate me for taking your friends away from you?"

Xion let her gaze wander over the sunset.

"No. It's not your fault, Riku."

"But the nightmares-"

"Are just what they are- nightmares. Dreams are twisted by feeling, but memories aren't affected by feeling."

"Are you... a memory?" Riku questioned slowly.

"Yes. The 'real' me is inside Sora, right?" She smiled sadly. "But that doesn't matter. I have to thank you, Riku."

Riku was surprised. "Thank me?"

"For doing this. Coming all this way just to... remember me. And if you get your memories back, then everyone else should be able to too."

She drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"I just hope they remember too..."

"But you know that they're-" He stopped midsentence. If she was a memory, then she would only have knowledge up until when she disappeared.

She looked up at him with the same innocent eyes she had when she wished to know where her true place was. Riku could see the unconcealed pleading washed over her eyes.

"Roxas went back to Sora, didn't he?" she asked quietly. Riku opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"I-it's... for the best..." She tried to wipe away the tears with her long sleeve, but her eyes would not dry. She pulled her legs closer to her chest.

"I just wish the best w-was... his own life." She sniffed and closed her eyes as if in pain.

"And Axel?" Her voice was nearly a whisper now as her eyes silently washed her cheeks with salty drops.

Riku managed out a word. "He..." Why did he have to be the one to tell her this? She may have been a memory, but she was real to him- it was his memory, after all.

"Please, Riku. Nothing's... your fault."

"He... sacrificed himself to save Sora, and Roxas too..."

She turned to face him with shocked eyes. Their eyes were locked. As Riku looked into them, he saw something break.

That veil holding back all the stabbing pain and sadness shattered at her two best friends' fates. The dam holding back every stinging tear broke and flooded her visage with a poignant agony. She leaned forward with face buried in gloved hands and teetered over the empty space. Riku swiftly grabbed her cloak and pulled her back to safety. He hesitantly put an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his chest, clutching a fistful of his vest as she sobbed.

They stayed that way for a long time, her eyes an endless pool of heartrending, watery emotion that never ran dry. Riku felt her still shaking with sobs as she tried to speak in a hoarse whisper.

"What do I know? I'm just a memory, a memory of a Replica, this isn't even real..."

Riku's grip on her shoulder tightened in determination.

"I'll set things right. Sora and I will set things right. I-we'll find a way, we'll bring them back. Bring you back, and you can have the things you always wanted- the things you told me about."

She ceased her sobs so that only tears ran down her cheeks and looked up at him.

"Riku..." He smiled gently at her.

"I promise."

"Thank you, Riku..." He saw a last tear fall off her chin as she and the world around him disappeared.

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><p>Thanks to all you people reading; your support is much appreciated ;D<p> 


	6. Restoration

_Restoration_

"What?" The traveler of that dark realm was taken aback by the cloaked man's statement. The one he blamed was not this man; their scents and even their presences were completely different. His was not so steeped in darkness. And besides, Sora should have rid the worlds of Xemnas by now; he had made sure that was to be part of Sora's path. The cloaked man- just now he realized they wore the same cloak, not a common occurrence- pulled back his hood to reveal a familiar pair of piercing amber eyes. He took a step back in the soft sand. Regardless of what had happened before, the animosity he held towards the man had not disappeared.

"Ansem," he hissed.

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><p>When the light had disappeared, Riku found himself back on Destiny Islands with Namine. She seemed somewhat out of breath after sending Riku on his journey through his memories, even if it had truly only lasted a few seconds.<p>

"Did... it work?" she panted, leaning on the tree for support with her eyes fluttering open and closed. Riku held her up with a single strong arm.

"Yes, I remember everything. As we talked, the memories came back. Thank you, Namine."

"You're welcome." Namine smiled that genuine smile of hers. "And now that you remember, the others' memories should come back too."

Riku's aqua eyes widened at the new revelation. "Really?"

She nodded. "Because you are connected to Sora, his memories, or rather Roxas's memories, will be restored. And so all those connected to Sora will get back their memories of Xion as well," she explained, ending with another smile as she brought her hands over her chest.

"I think I should go now though, Riku. I'm sure Kairi didn't mean for me to stay around for longer than a few minutes." She smiled apologetically as her form began to fade.

"See you Namine." Riku nodded. Within seconds Kairi stood before him again, albeit a bit disoriented. She held her head and took a dizzy step.

"Whoa, I sure hope I don't have to do that often... How does Namine stand being inside me all the time?"

She saw Riku standing in front of her and blinked at his far-off look.

"So, what did Namine say?"

"Huh? Oh... Well, I think we should get Sora before I start explaining."

Kairi gave him an understanding look and brief nod. She then ran off to find Sora, who she had last seen in the tree houses above.

Riku waited patiently at the tree, contentedly watching the sunset. He realized that the sunset he saw with Xion in his memories and the one before him were the same. Exactly the same. Nobodies and Somebodies... The only difference an unknowledgeable person would see was a few letters, and maybe that's all that was to it. Riku didn't have much time to ponder the thought because Kairi and Sora came running up.

"So... what's this... about... Namine?" Sora panted, hands on his knees and leaning over. When he and Kairi had caught their breaths, they settled on the Paopu tree to listen to his story.

When Riku had finished explaining the story of Xion, the imperfect Replica who had given her short life for the safety of the worlds, Sora was looking down at his hands in shame and Kairi had tears in her eyes.

"So she's gone... because of me?" Sora slowly closed his hands and shed a single tear. Whose tear it was- Roxas's or his- he didn't know.

"Sora... You can't blame yourself for any of this. After all, you were asleep the entire time." Riku tried to console his friend, but once Sora becomes depressed, it spreads like wildfire as his happiness does.

"We get to sit here and have our happy ending, while they die! I'm supposed to save people, not have people sacrifice themselves to save me!"

"Sora..." Kairi wiped her tears away with her sleeve, only for them to be replaced by fresh ones.

"I don't care who they are or what they are, they're still people, just like us. Just like us! They deserve their own happy ending..."

"Then we'll do something about it." Riku's calm statement snapped Sora out of his rant.

"Huh?" Riku gave a slight, crooked grin at the look on Sora's surprised face.

"Let's do something about it. There has to be a way to bring them back. I remember DiZ- Ansem talking about his discoveries about solutions for the Nobodies, but of course he wasn't about to use them. His research has gotta be still around, probably at the old mansion."

Sora suddenly was back to his old self and jumped to his feet. "Then let's go!" he shouted as he brought a triumphant fist into the air. Riku and Kairi stared at their capricious best friend with grins on their faces, rolling their eyes at his mood swings.

"Oh yeah!" Sora's outburst caused the other two to jump in surprise. "We've gotta see King Mickey and Yen Sid! We should ask them about all this, too."

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><p>Ahh, short chapter. Has anyone else been having problems uploading, or is it just me? e-e I had to put this on an old document to use it XD<p> 


	7. Door to the Light

Thanks so much to all you people, favoriting, reviewing, and/or alerting my story! It's really my first full fledged story, so bear with me. And for some reason, the last lines of the last chapter were cut off o-o Not that they mattered, but I just had to include some Sora cheerfulness so this was them:

"Sora grinned at Riku.

'Well, what are we waiting for? We've got people to save!'"

Haha, yea. Anyways, enjoy~ All your reviews and the like are so much appreciated~

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><p><em>Door to the Light<em>

"And you are… Axel, if I recall correctly? I owe you an apology."

Axel narrowed his eyes, which flashed a dangerous shade of bright green in the perpetual darkness. He seemed ready to lash out with a verbal attack, but he suddenly clutched his head, slightly groaning in pain. Ansem's companion stood up in alarm and instinctively went to help him, but her attempts went unnoticed.

_Thanks, Axel. You're sweet. _

_Please, Axel. I have to do this. _

_I've decided that I have to go back to where I belong. _

_Don't hold back, Axel. Promise. _

"W-what?" He staggered back a step and looked up. A young woman with cropped, light blue hair and cerulean eyes was staring at him, concerned. He quickly shut his eyes again as pain resounded in his head.

_That voice- she- who are you?_

The sudden pain disappeared as quickly as it had come. He slowly opened his eyes once more to find the same sight as before. The young woman still looked at him concerned with the slightest hint of curiosity. For a moment, her hair darkened and her face became a few years younger, but her eyes were nearly the same. Axel shook his head, but the same image remained. Compelled by his own curiosity, he edged closer. She backed away a few steps, blushing, and her black hair turned blue and face became that of an older teen once again.

"D-do I know you?" she stuttered, obviously accustomed to her large quantity of personal space. Axel blinked in confusion.

"No, I... You just look a bit like someone I know... I mean, someone I think I know..." He appeared deep in thought, brow furrowed, digging through the dusty memories to decipher the meaning of his strange vision and the voices he heard. Seeing how distraught he was, she quickly forgave him for invading her personal space.

"Um, well then, I'm Aqua," she said a bit awkwardly. Perhaps introducing oneself to a person with amnesia or that is having problems with their memory is not the best idea.

"Axel. But you knew that already, so make sure you get it memorized." He grinned slightly, still a bit lost in thought.

"Why are you out here in the Realm of Darkness?" Aqua questioned. Axel gave a small laugh.

"Wish I knew myself." He turned to Ansem.

"Keep your apology," Axel spat. Ansem closed his eyes in recognition that a mere apology would not appease Axel after what he had done to Roxas. "I'd rather have an explanation. How am I here? How am I not dead- well, gone?"

Aqua gave a small gasp.

"I cannot say. No research of mine ever revealed such a thing could occur. You are already a 'special case' for a Nobody; there could be many other such cases concerning the 'deaths' of Nobodies, or rather their disappearances. Also, my memory is not what it used to be. I find my past life washed away by the tides here, leaving an empty slate with no answers." He shook his head sadly, wishing more could be done to explain him surviving.

"'Nobody?' What in the worlds is that?" Aqua had a feeling that the nobody they referred to was not the insulting use of the term.

"A being created when one loses their heart to the darkness, made of the empty shell left behind," Axel answered bitterly, as if reciting some school lesson drilled into him. "Basically someone with no heart and no emotions who doesn't truly exist."

He averted his gaze to the gently crashing waves. Aqua's eyes widened.

"So you…?"

"Don't have a heart and emotions? Yep."

"But… you seem to think otherwise."

"Well… after everything that's happened, I-" He paused for a moment to think. "It's like this bizarre illusion of humanity; it's messing with my head. Pretty much everything I was told feels- seems wrong. All because of one person, my best friend- Roxas." He laughed internally at himself for spilling out his life story to some random girl he met in the Realm of Darkness, the ghost of a bitter smile touching his lips.

"And that one person who made everything seem different, well, I couldn't even protect him. I couldn't even keep my promise with her." He slumped to the ground and slung an arm over his drawn up knees. His eyes widened in shock at what he had just said.

_Her?_

Aqua rested her chin on her knees, wrapping her arms around them.

"I know how you feel. I couldn't protect my friends either. At least Ven's safe, but Terra…" She trailed off, wanting to change the subject. "Who did you make a promise with?"

Axel opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out and he turned his head away, thinking hard.

"I don't know. All of a sudden, these… memories have been coming back to me of some girl I don't remember, but it feels-" There it was again- "like she's important- important to me." He sighed. Ansem looked at him curiously.

"A girl? I believe, from somewhere deep in my memories, I recall a young girl you were friends with, or at the least acquainted with. She had stark raven hair, much like Aqua's but only differing in color. And she had cerulean eyes, much like those of Sora."

Axel closed his eyes tight, trying to force memories of the mysterious girl to surface. "That… that's her, I remember… but… what was her name?" He chastised himself for not being able to remember her name. He searched frantically through every memory he had for her, but to no avail. All he saw was her face, just as Ansem had described it. He suddenly came across a memory that stuck out to him because of its seemingly damaged nature. It would crackle and cut out at moments where the person he appeared to be speaking to would have been seen, as if someone had gone in and hurriedly removed him or her. He heard his own voice echoing in his mind.

_Xion… What are you gonna do?_

"Xion!" he exclaimed, startling Aqua. "That was her name, Xion!"

Aqua smiled at his discovery but furrowed her brow. "How did you come to forget her in the first place?"

"Well, if I could remember that, I don't think I'd be sitting here trying to figure out her name." He grinned, obviously in a better mood now that he remembered her name. Though when he thought about her harder, he felt an inexplicable sadness wash over him like acid, eating a hole in his already empty chest. How he felt such sadness, he could not say. Before he could say anything else, a bright radiance flashed behind him. He looked at Aqua's amazed expression and turned to see the light's source.

Hovering above the water was a shimmering and sparkling rectangle of warm light, bathing the three on the beach with its blissful glow. Tears of joy streaked down Aqua's face.

"It's just like a part of the nursery rhyme Master Eraqus used to read to us when we were little- _Together Keyblades of day and night can come to open the door to the light."_

Axel looked at her, astonished. "You have a Keyblade?"

She nodded, not taking her eyes off the light she had not seen for nearly eleven years.

"But I don't, so how-" He was cut off by Ansem, who motioned for the two of them to stand up.

"Hurry! This may be your only chance to escape!" They quickly got up and ran over to the light. Aqua turned around to make sure Ansem had followed, but he simply stood on the water's edge, watching them.

"Come on! You have to come with us!" she yelled back to the shore, beckoning with her hand.

"No, my time here is not done. I feel I have been sent here to repent all my past mistakes and learn the errors of my ways. You two must leave- the door opened for you."

"No! We can't leave you in this place!" She tried to run back, but the light swallowed her and Ansem was gone.


	8. Reunion

I'm just telling you now, I don't support Akuroku. At all. But if you found your best friend who you thought was dead, I'm pretty sure you'd be happy too._  
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><p><em>Reunion<em>

"What are we waiting for? We've got people to save!"

Sora forced his friends up and pushed them towards the wooden bridge.

"Let's get going!"

"Ok, ok Sora, we're coming, geez!" Kairi laughed in spite of the brunette practically dragging her across the bridge.

"Wait wait wait..." Riku dug his heels in, an irritated Sora trying to push him vain.

"How do we get there?"

Silence ensued. He was offered blank stares in response.

"Uhh... You gave me the idea!" He pointed his finger at Riku, who was not about to play the blame game with Sora. He opened his mouth to comment on Sora's inability to think things through when a blinding flash of light came from their left, over the waves. Two streaks of light, one tinted azure and the other crimson, came crashing down into the ocean below. The trio instinctively ran to where the light had fallen, Kairi somewhat less concerned because she was used to beams of light coming out of the sky and dropping people off at the islands.

"Oh sure, when Sora does something wrong, he gets a diversion..." Riku complained to himself as he ran to the beach alongside Sora.

Two sopping wet figures dragged themselves from the water and onto the sand, coughing and spluttering. When the three neared, they could make out one of them complaining.

"I like swimming as much as the next guy, but not when you get launched into the water out some door of light..." The one who spoke sported a black cloak- very suspiciously looking like one belonging to the Organization- and long spikes of bright red hair. Sora was the first to react.

"Axel...?" Sora's form flashed to Roxas and back, then back again to a near solid and slightly wavering Roxas.

"Axel!" Kairi and Riku suddenly saw Roxas streaking across the sand towards him at an unimaginable speed.

Axel looked up in confusion, apparently still a bit waterlogged. He suddenly found someone crushing the air out of him and looked down to see a blur of blonde hair and black coat trying to kill him with a bear hug.

"...Roxas?" The little blonde looked up at him joyfully, a bit teary eyed, looking like a little puppy with shining blue eyes an imaginary but very well deserved wagging tail.

"Roxas! Man, it's you! You're... you!" Axel put an arm around his neck and gave him a noogie with his other fist while laughing happily. "I can't believe it's you!"

Roxas was making muffled noises with his face half buried in Axel's cloak that sounded like "Axel, you're alive! You're really alive!" repeated over and over with little variations. They were both laughing as Axel somewhat lightly punched his head, punctuating each punch with a single word. "Don't! Go! Doing! Anything! That! Crazy! Anymore! Get! It! Memorized!"

Regardless of getting punched in the head and choked, Roxas clung on like his life depended on it.

"Roxa-Roxas! Let go man, you're gonna kill me, and I don't feel like dying again!" Reluctantly, Roxas released Axel from his death grip, still laughing. Kairi and Riku came running up behind Roxas, and they stopped when they saw Axel, bewildered. Axel looked up from laughing with and beating up Roxas to address them, not stopping.

"Hey Namine, Princess, Riku. Also, Princess, sorry about the whole kidnapping ordeal. I hope Sora passed that message along to you. And yeah, I'm alive, and oh, that's Aqua over there." He gestured with an elbow at the blue haired teen who was watching all of them in amazement. She stared at Roxas with wide eyes.

"Ven!"

Roxas looked at her in confusion, glancing around to see if there was someone else she was talking to.

"Um, I'm Roxas?"

Aqua looked hurt as she staggered back a step.

"But... you look just like him. Maybe... you lost your memory again?"

Axel cut in after thinking hard for a moment. "Wait, Ven? Kid with a wooden Keyblade who looks- how did I not even notice it before? - a lot like Roxas here?"

"That's him! Have you seen him?" Aqua asked desperately.

"Well, yeah, but about eleven years ago I think. He came by Radiant Garden one time all depressed, so I decided to cheer him up." Axel smirked at the memory, of course leaving out how he cheered Ven up since he lost the fight.

"Ven..." Aqua hung her head and sighed sadly. "Wait... Eleven years? I've been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for almost eleven years?"

All the others looked at her in surprise. She looked up at all of them. "What exactly has happened to the worlds since I've been gone?"

Suddenly, she gave a surprised gasp and ran over to Kairi and Riku.

"Kairi? And Riku?" They looked at each other and back at Aqua.

"You know our names?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, I met you eleven years ago in Radiant Garden! You were so small then, but your light is still as bright as ever."

"Radiant... Garden?" Kairi cocked her head to the side.

"That's where you lived, right? The Unversed were after you, probably because of that light of yours, so Mickey and I stepped in to help."

Riku stared at her in astonishment. "You know Mickey?"

"Yes, he was an apprentice under Master Yen Sid then. I wonder if he's graduated to Master as well..." She looked at Riku. "And Riku, I met you here, on this same island. You and Sora were both just little boys. I saw that you were given the gift of a Keyblade, so I told Sora to make sure he was there for you if you ever wandered down a dark path. Speaking of Sora, where is he?"

"Well, he's-" Riku pointed to Roxas. "He's there, but you just can't see hi- Wait, you said you wondered if Mickey became a Master 'as well?' Does that mean..."

"Yes, Riku. I am a Keyblade Master.


	9. Road Blocks

Double update, whoo hoo~ Though my chapters are always considerably short. Sorry about that. x) I'm a "I need to do and finish it right now or I'll forget and get lazy" person.

Happy Fourth of July, my American friends! :D /waves flag around

Sorry if things have gotten rambly or anything, it's just that I need to kind of set up the stage for everything to come, and I was doing these last two chapters in the middle of the night while watching TV, this one while watching Pirates of the Carribean. xD_  
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><p><em>Road Blocks<em>

"You're a Keyblade Master?" Riku yelled as all the others stopped whatever they were doing and gaped at Aqua.

"Yes, I trained under the Master... Master Eraqus, and I became Master just before I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness."

"Wait..." Roxas tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You're one of the last three Keyblade apprentices, the ones Xigbar kept talking about."

"Xigbar?"

"Guy with an eye patch and scars all over the right side of his face and a creepy yellow eye. When I'd ask him about his lost eye, he'd just go off rambling about how he had a bone to pick with one of you for it."

"Braig!" Aqua snarled. "That creep... If it wasn't for him..." She trailed off, not wanting to say more.

"Try living with the guy," Axel said. Roxas just laughed. Axel mimicked Xigbar by putting one hand over his right eye and grinning evilly. "'Hey kiddo, 'ello poppet.'"

Roxas chuckled. "Don't forget 'flamsilocks.'" Axel looked ready to smack him when Roxas stopped and looked at Axel in confusion.

"Wait... Poppet?" Aqua, Riku, and Kairi watched their conversation unfold with interest. "I was kiddo and you were flamsilocks, but poppet was..."

"...Xion."

"So you remember?"

"Bits and pieces, but not much. What do you remember?"

"Everything. Everything..." Roxas's good mood vanished and was replaced by a look of pure sadness and guilt.

Riku cut in. "So you two remember too? Not completely in your case, Axel, but you still do?"

"Yes," the two addressed said simultaneously.

Kairi and Aqua looked lost. "Why am I always left out of things...?" Kairi said the rhetorical question aloud.

"I know how you feel..." Aqua thought of how her two friends would always get in trouble and how she would be left to figure out things on her own.

Roxas went to say more, but his figure blurred and became transparent.

"I think Sora wants his body back..." He smiled sadly at Axel. "See you, Axel."

Axel seemed distressed at the fact that his best friend didn't have his own body and was leaving, but all he could do was give a small dejected grin in return. "See you, Roxas."

Roxas's form disappeared in a flash and was soon replaced by a disoriented Sora.

"W-what happened? Something about Axel..."

He looked up at the man standing next to him and nearly fell over.

"Axel!"

Axel grinned at Sora's reaction. "Long time no see, bud."

"You're-"

"Yes, alive, who knows how. I feel like I've we've already been through this..."

"Hold on, we can get to all that later." Riku was eager to continue his conversation with Axel. "What exactly do you remember?"

"Truthfully... barely anything. I can faintly see her face, hear her voice... but it seems the harder I try to remember, the harder it becomes to see her face."

"I can try to fill you in on what I know, but that's definitely not everything. Or we could have Namine examine your memories and try to restore them, just like she did with mine."

"I think I'll take my chances with Namine, since that's her area of skill. I don't feel like nearly passing out again, nothing personal." Axel smirked a little. "Sooo... how do we get Namine to help?"

Riku turned to Kairi and smiled a bit apologetically, and she nodded. She closed her eyes once more and gave into Namine's presence. Once Namine stood before them after a flash of light, Riku explained the situation to her.

"I was hoping maybe you could help us out with memories of Xion again, but this time Axel's."

She peered behind Riku and found Axel standing next to Sora. He gave a little wave.

"'Sup, Namine." She gave him a quizzical look, one he interpreted as asking as to how he was alive. "Yeah, I don't know either." He shrugged it off.

"Well then, hello Axel. You remember Xion?"

"Like I said, bits and pieces," he answered a tad irritated, getting tired of repeating himself- people needed to get things memorized.

"I think I can help you restore them." She walked up to him and placed a hand on the side of his head, standing on the tips of her toes to do so. She closed her eyes to concentrate, but Riku interrupted her.

"How come you can restore his like that, but not mine?"

"You're not a Nobody," she answered simply, not opening her eyes. "Any emotional pain from those delicate memories could have damaged you if I had touched them, Riku."

Everyone was silent as Namine filed through Axel's memories, trying to find the right ones.

"Something's not right... There's something in the way making it much harder to bring them back, as if it's blocking the restoration of your memories."

Axel looked disappointed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you know what's blocking them?"

She shut her eyes tighter, looking a bit exhausted. "No... I can't tell. I can say, though, that you should be able to get your memories back, but it will be very difficult."

"At least it's possible," he said optimistically, mostly for his own sake. Namine took her hand off his head.

"I wish I could help more, but I don't know how much more I can do right now. It's exhausting enough just taking over for Kairi, let alone delving into another's memories..."

"Then rest." Sora smiled comfortingly at her, and she smiled and disappeared.

After giving Kairi a brief recap of what Namine had said, Sora reluctantly brought up an old issue.

"We should probably get going to tell- and ask- the King and Master Yen Sid about all of this, which means we need a way to get there."

Riku gave Axel a sidelong glance.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm about as stuck as you." He flicked his wrist next to him, but nothing happened.

"Can't summon corridors anymore for some reason. Besides, it would've damaged all of you, 'cept for Kairi."

Kairi huffed and crossed her arms. "You would know..."

Axel threw his arms up in the air in an act of surrender. "I said I was sorry! I even died to save your boyfriend!"

Kairi looked indignant, but the last part made her blush and kept her mouth shut. Next to Axel, Sora put his hands behind his head and blushed as well. Riku and Axel both smirked at then but dropped the subject.

"Wait a minute..." Sora put his hand in front of him. "If Roxas could, maybe I can..."

A portal whooshed in front of him, a swirling oval of imploding darkness. Riku was adamant about them using such means of transportation.

"We can't use that, Sora!"

"It's the only way, Riku. Otherwise we'll be stuck here until someone comes to pick us up, which could be in who knows how long."

"I'm with the kid on this one," Axel put in.

"That's just because you've got that coat," Riku retorted as Sora mumbled something about not being a kid anymore.

"It's a bit damaged though, so I'm putting my butt at risk too."

"Everyone, we need to focus," Aqua announced loudly, but everyone continued squabbling.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but... I am MASTER Aqua, so you're going to listen to me!" she yelled.

All eyes swiveled toward her in dead silence.

"Good. Now from what I gather, we'll only need to use this once since you seem to have another way to get around that's just not available right now?" Sora nodded. "I don't think that one time will do much damage, considering the strength of your hearts. While I am very opposed to using darkness for anything, it'll have to do for now if we want to get anywhere."

Riku sighed in defeat. "Fine, but this had better not happen often." After the unanimous vote, they piled into the portal one by one and vanished from the shores.


	10. Forgiven

_Forgiven_

Master Yen Sid's tower stood before the five, hanging in its crooked glory against a swirling orange backdrop. Aqua and Sora headed towards the large front door, leaving the others to stand in awe of the strangely magnificent building. Riku caught up with Sora as Kairi and Axel trailed behind.

"I thought we were going to Disney Castle, Sora." Riku looked at Sora, questioning his skills with portals.

"I figured we needed to talk to Master Yen Sid first, especially now that Aqua's here too." He strode to the door and flung it back to reveal a staircase spiraling up to a door that looked as if it hung in midair, star shaped windows dotting the walls at regular intervals. Riku shrugged and followed Sora and Aqua up the endless steps. Axel was a bit behind with Kairi bringing up the rear, the two out of earshot of the other three.

"...I forgive you." Kairi's hesitant and awkward statement came to Axel's ears.

"Hmmm?" He kept his face out of her sight, grinning.

"I know you just want to hear me say it again, but I won't." She crossed her arms, nearly stumbling on a step without her arms to help her balance. He smirked, something that seemed almost audible between the quiet clicking on the stairs.

"So, has Sora made a move yet?"

Kairi was completely thrown off by his random question and nearly fell flat on her face, which felt extremely hot.

"What?" She pushed herself back up and had to jog up a few steps to keep up with his now quick stride.

"You know what I mean." It seemed like a foreign concept to Axel, though he did not act the way he "felt." He had gotten quite skillful at that over the years, not something he was very proud of, but nevertheless it was still useful.

"Uhh..." Kairi's nervous response hung in the air, leaving a brief silence.

"Well, if he's anything like Roxas, then nothing will ever get done. Those two are hopeless. They know nothing about girls."

Kairi regained some of her composure as she walked through a small round room, at least enough to insult him some more. They passed through the room in silence until they came to the last staircase to the tower's top.

"And you do?"

He stopped before the top step, one foot below and the other firmly before the door.

"I don't know, I wouldn't remember."

With that he strode off through the final door, leaving a red-faced and confused Kairi standing there.

When Axel entered the room, he found Aqua, Sora, and Riku discussing recent events with Master Yen Sid. They turned to him, and Yen Sid beckoned him over with a slight movement of the hand.

"So you are the one who has no heart yet survived your demise? Very interesting indeed. Axel, unless I'm mistaken?"

Axel nodded, wanting to say "That's my name gramps, got it memorized?" but even he could tell this was not the man, or rather wizard, to use such informalities with. Kairi soon joined them, standing in line with the others and mimicking their poses of respect.

"Hmm..." He stroked his long beard and paused for a moment, soon after turning to Kairi.

"Kairi. You are now among the chosen few who wield the Keyblade, and while you cannot participate in the Mark of Mastery Exam, you should take the time to learn from your friends' individual experiences." She nodded understandingly. He returned his attention to Axel, whose wandering gaze found its way to the colossal book on his desk, its many pages ruffling slightly with every movement in the small room.

"I understand you are having trouble recalling a certain person from your memories?"

"Yep." He looked down, pinpointing his focus on something below Yen Sid's beard.

"Do you have any clue as to why you have had this sudden absence of memories?"

"No idea, though Namine said it seems like something's blocking them."

"I would like to test that theory, if you do not mind."

"Go ahead."

Yen Sid placed a hand in front of him and concentrated on Axel, who felt something in the back of his mind comparable to the rifling of papers, some stuck to one another and not coming apart. Yen Sid let his hand drop as he closed his eyes, assessing whatever he had just discovered.

"That is correct- something is an obstacle in the path of your memories, but it is yet to be identifiable to me. Now unfortunately, you and Kairi cannot be a part of this conversation as it is for those concerned with the Mark of Mastery exam alone."

He motioned to a large wooden door to their right, which creaked open on its own. The two slowly walked through the doorway, Kairi glancing back over her shoulder to get a glance at Sora before it shut and locked.

"I saw that." Axel smirked as he settled in a nearby chair, putting his arms comfortably behind his head and crossing his legs that now rested on a table.

"What?"

He rolled his eyes at her innocence.

"Nothing that matters, since you two will never do anything about it," he mumbled under his breath. Kairi must have caught some of what he said, because she huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"How did Roxas and Xion put up with living with you?"

He suddenly grew serious and looked out the window at the strange landscape. "I'm not sure, since we were together all of the time, or so I'm told. Roxas managed to put up with me. Don't remember much though. It's like someone reached in and pulled out parts of the memories, leaving something unfinished and broken."

Kairi felt bad for bringing up his friends, but she was curious to hear what he had to say when he actually was being serious for once.

"What do you remember?"

He looked at his boots and laughed quietly. "Of her? Nothing more than a face and a voice. Roxas would refuse to tell me more, and Riku doesn't want to talk about it either, but I don't need them to tell me she's gone because what I feel when I think of those few things I do remember is enough for me to know."

Kairi was at a loss for words at the pain Axel so willingly told her about just because she had asked. He took her silence as her not believing him.

"Yes, I know what I am. Maybe it's just that the hole in my chest is just bigger than it was before."

The door creaked open again, startling Kairi whose head jerked towards the sudden sound.

"C'mon you guys, we're taking the gummiship to see the King!" Sora couldn't help but exclaim, for he was excited at the prospect of seeing Donald and Goofy again. When he saw Kairi's jumpy state, he gave a suspicious sideways glance back at Axel, who simply slid his legs off the table and followed at a leisurely pace. His same grin was plastered on his face, but for some reason it seemed the smallest bit less cheerful as usual to Sora. Thinking no more of it, he bounded off down the stairs to the awaiting gummiship, Kairi close behind. Axel had a hand on the door to the winding staircase when Yen Sid stopped him.

"Axel. You may be a Nobody, but I sense a great light within you. Whether it is simply there or an obstacle to your memories' progress is another matter entirely."

When Yen Sid had once again resumed his stern, watchful position from his chair, Axel turned and began down the stairs to meet the others.


	11. Gummiship Antics

_Gummiship Antics_

Sora stuck his head out of the gummiship's window and waved to Axel, who stood in front of the tower's front door looking thoughtful.

"C'mon! We've gotta get going, Axel!" he yelled at the redhead impatiently, jumping up and down with his hands on the windowsill like a little child. Brown, spiky hair disappeared once he pulled his head back inside, and Axel boarded the ship at last. Once inside, they immediately took off into the orange skies with Sora at the wheel. They swerved left as the machine stumbled in the sky, sending everyone into the nearest wall and forcing Sora to hold onto the controls for support.

"Sora!" Riku did not appreciate having his face smashed into the wall.

"It wasn't me! You guys have got to smile!" Sora struggled to keep them in the sky.

"Smile?" The muffled reply came from Axel who was squashed behind Aqua, who was not enjoying herself.

"Yep, this ship runs on smiles!" Sora kept an unnaturally large smile plastered to his face as he hung from the controls.

"I've never heard of such a dumb thing..." Riku complained, but he tried his best at smiling nonetheless. He managed a crooked grin that looked more like a snarl of disgust. Kairi took one look at his face and burst out laughing.

"Shouldn't be too hard for me." Axel grinned his usual grin and got slapped by Aqua, whose back was still pressed against his. "Ow... Not what I meant..."

She smiled a bit in spite of herself, and the ship gradually leveled out. All four tumbled to the floor, still forcing smiles as they pushed themselves from the floor. Riku rubbed his face, which was much sorer from the unnatural smile than getting smashed into the wall.

"Keep up the good smiles, guys!" Sora encouraged without turning around. "And Axel- I know it makes you smile, but don't set anything on fire, please." Axel's head jerked up; he could have sworn he heard and saw Roxas for the most brief of moments. He blinked, and the image was gone. Before he could think about it any longer, the ship jerked and sent them into a jumbled heap of heads, arms, and legs.

"Sorry, that was me that time! Donald never would let me drive..." Sora grumbled, crossing his arms before he realized he needed them for the controls and flung them back. It was going to be a long trip.

xxx

Disney Castle came into view over the dashboard, and all the unfortunate passengers crowded around to see it. The first genuine smiles in hours came to be at the sight of it.

"Land, sweet land," Axel sighed in longing. "Speaking of land... you do know how to land this thing, right Ro- Sora?"

Sora let go of the joystick for a moment to scratch his head. "Uhh... How hard could it be?"

* * *

><p>"Sora, I told you I should have driven!" Riku picked clods of dirt and grass out of his once purely silver hair. He threw them at the ground and stomped up to the hall entrance.<p>

"I'm sorry! Besides, you don't know how to land it either!" Sora flailed his arms and ran to keep up with him. Axel picked himself up off the ground.

"Urg..." He rubbed his also grassy hair. "Why do they have ejecting seats in that thing? It's not like it would blow up or anything." He kicked the side of the rubbery ship, his foot rebounding with no noise.

Aqua helped Kairi up off the ground with an outstretched hand, smiling. Kairi smiled back and stood up with her help.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I live to help people- really."

"What do you mean?" Kairi looked over her inquisitively as they walked through the white halls, the boys ahead. They passed by a few brooms carrying buckets of water, and Kairi watched them in amazement while Aqua went unfazed.

"Well, I trained to be Master for years. As Eraqus always said, we were there to keep the light and darkness in balance."

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting how you're a Master- not in a bad way, but just because it always seems to be the boys out saving the worlds."

Aqua giggled softly. "Even the boys need help from time to time."

"Do you have crazy, save-the-world friends like mine?"

Aqua looked down at her feet. "Yes, I did..."

The two came to the door to the castle library, where Sora could be heard exclaiming excitedly on the other side. Aqua pushed the door open to find Sora, Donald and Goofy doing some sort of happy dance in the middle of the room. Mickey turned from Sora, Riku, and Axel in surprise.

"Aqua? Oh boy, you're alright!" He jumped up and ran over to her.

"Mickey!"

"We've searched for you for eleven years! We got a bit distracted at times with all the problems with the world, but here ya are! You haven't changed a bit!"

Smiling, she leaned over with her hands on her knees to face him.

"Neither have you. Except I believe you have become a Master too, like Master Yen Sid said?"

"Yup! Always remember you're not alone in this," he extended the warm encouragement to Aqua. "But how'd you and Axel escape the Realm of Darkness?"

"The Door to Light appeared, and we found ourselves on Destiny Islands."

"We also saw Ansem at the Dark Margin," Axel added in, shocking all but Aqua. "I heard you guys thought he was dead, but apparently he isn't."

Mickey was anxious to hear more. "What happened to him?"

"He was losing his memories, but he didn't want to come with us..." Aqua looked down at the ground, looking guilty. "He said something about needing to stay there to think about all his past actions."

Mickey sighed and put a gloved hand on the table. The room stayed in silence for a long time until Mickey broke it.

"Welp, at least we know he's alive!" he said, brimming with optimism. "I wish we could do something about it right now, but we've got a lot of trouble on our hands."

"What do you mean by 'a lot?'" While Sora liked going out on adventures, he wasn't sure if he wanted to waste another year asleep again if something similar happened.

"Heartless have been popping up on some worlds, you guys have your Mark of Mastery exam to prepare for, we've got people to save, and speaking of that, Axel can't remember this girl Xion. At least we've got saving Aqua and Axel done!"

"Hey, I do believe we saved ourselves. But you are right about everything else." Axel crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "You know, it was always those two with memory problems, never me."

He laughed quietly but stopped himself. "What do you know, I actually remember something," he mused. Using his moment of thoughtfulness to his advantage, Riku cut in.

"Master Yen Sid told us we should stay concerned with everything else before we focus on the exam," he told Mickey. "What should we do first, though?"

"First, and I know you and Axel want to do something about Xion-" Axel and Riku gave sideways glances at each other, though they didn't look necessarily like friendly looks. "-but we have to do something about the Heartless problem. You just remembered something, Axel, so maybe you'll remember more on the way! I promise though, we'll set everything right!"

"Thanks, Your Majesty," Sora said as he nodded in agreement with Mickey's last statement.

"Oh, you don't have to call me that! Just call me Mickey!" he laughed.

"O-ok, Mickey," Sora said a bit uncertainly as he shook his hand. He then turned to all the others, a big grin on his face.

"Let's get going- first stop, Twilight Town! And this time, I think I know how to land!"

Donald chided him in his raspy voice. "Oh no you don't Sora, I'll be driving this time."

Said boy began grumbling and arguing that he was perfectly capable of driving the gummiship as the others let out sighs of relief, and they all piled into the gummiship for another long ride.


	12. Return

I just have to say, I love all you people for reviewing. ;o; I promise the story'll get more exciting, trust me. cx And I just realized Gummi Ship is two words. *facepalm* And yes, it all takes place after Kingdom Hearts II and Re:Coded._  
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><p><em>Return<em>

Donald safely landed the gummiship in an empty lot nestled between houses of the tram common. The group of now seven unloaded themselves from the ship, a few rubbing their sore cheeks.

"...and those are the key steps for properly landing a Gummi Ship," Donald finished his lecture to Sora, who pouted and kept his arms crossed.

"You tell me that like you'll _let_ me drive," he grumbled. Donald ignored Sora's complaints to turn to Goofy.

"So what did the King ask us to do here?" he quacked as he scratched the side of his head with a feathered finger.

"To look for Heartless, ahyuck! He said that since this world's the closest one to the darkness, it's in the most danger out of all of 'em," Goofy explained as the group walked about aimlessly while looking for Heartless, attracting a good amount of attention from the few residents that wandered the town.

"We should probably go see Hayner, Pence, and Olette! They'll be able to tell us if there's been trouble, and it'd be nice to see them again." Sora gave a hopeful grin at the prospect of seeing some old friends again. Riku nodded and motioned for the rest to follow as they kept their eyes peeled for trouble.

Walking up to the pathway to Station Heights, they passed by the small shop selling desserts. Axel slowed to a stop in front of it, watching the old woman lean over to grab a box of ice creams and put them in a large fridge. The others began to match his slow pace and waited for him to come along, but he didn't come.

"What are you looking at, Axel?" Sora looked at him curiously with eyes that looked so much like those of Roxas. Before he could respond, the old woman turned around, startled at the arrival of so many people. Her eyes wandered over the new faces until she found a familiar one.

"Well hello there! I haven't seen you or those two friends of yours come by here for quite a while." She addressed Axel, who seemed to be searching for the right words.

"We had some... troubles," he said hesitantly as he gazed at the ice cream bars she had not yet put away.

"I do hope everything's alright," she said with grandmotherly concern. "I didn't even see you three on the clock tower and began to wonder if something happened to all of you."

"...You could say some things happened."

"Well, I do hope to see you and your friends around again. You three were always so cheerful; it put a little sparkle in my day." She smiled, wrinkles gently crinkling beneath her eyes.

Axel smiled back sadly. "I hope I see them too." He turned away with his hands in his coat pockets.

"What's everyone waiting for? Don't we have a world to protect or something?" They hesitated a bit before making their way up through Station Heights, many of them stocking up on potions and the like from a nearby store. Axel found himself in what would normally Riku's spot between Sora and Kairi as Riku trailed behind to talk to Aqua about becoming a Master.

"So who was that lady, Axel?" Kairi asked, looking over curiously.

"She sells the sea salt ice cream here," he replied, half listening to the conversation Kairi started.

"Hm, I guess I would have met her before, but Pence normally went to buy ice cream for us. So you guys came here a lot?"

Axel paid more attention but looked less thoughtful and more depressed. "Just like that island was where you three would hang out, this was our special place." He quieted as he stared off in the distance at the clock tower. Sora just listened to the two silently in a very out of character moment. Kairi opened her mouth to say more, but Axel stopped her.

"Look, Kairi. I know you're a curious person and all and your intentions are good, but these aren't things I want to talk about. It's good you care, but care isn't making my friends come back," he said in one of those rare moments of seriousness.

"Well, maybe it can make one of them come back," another voice offered. They looked to Sora in surprise and instead found Roxas walking in his place. Axel grinned widely, but the smile faded slightly.

"Not permanently, it seems."

"I'm about as clueless as you. Though with Kairi and Namine, it looks like they can change back and forth at will. Not that Sora and I ever tried willingly- it just happens."

"Wonder why that is," Axel mused, tapping his chin. Kairi looked a bit worried for Sora, which Roxas must have noticed. He tapped his chest with a single finger.

"He's still there, Kairi. It's like being asleep but still able to see some of what's going on, probably the same as with you and Namine. I wish I could tell you why this is happening."

Riku walked up to the three, about to say something, but he interrupted himself when he saw Roxas, alarmed.

"What happened?"

"I just... appeared. I don't know how or why it happens, it just does. We're not like Kairi and Namine," Roxas explained to ease Riku's concern.

"It seems to happen when Axel's around," Kairi thought aloud.

"That's probably just because I'm that amazing," Axel said proudly as he puffed his chest out and jabbed a thumb into it, acting like the Axel Kairi had expected to end up getting to know.

"Axel is my best friend, after all. Even if he's pretty crazy sometimes," Roxas added in, soon finding himself in a headlock. Kairi watched the two with mild interest, her mind on other things.

"I don't know..." Why could she and Namine go back and forth at will, but not them?

"Heeey, it's Kairi!" Pence came through the open fence of their usual spot waving, followed by Hayner and Olette. "And Goofy, and Donald, and..." His eyes stopped on Axel. Hayner ran up beside his friend.

"Hey, you're that guy who kidnapped Kairi!" Hayner yelled angrily as he clenched his fist. "Stay away from her!"

Before he could make a move against Axel, Kairi stepped in between the two.

"It's ok, Hayner- He's good now. He saved Sora." She put an arm out to separate the two.

"Good? They must've brainwashed you or something!"

"She's telling the truth!" Sora jumped into the situation, his image and voice flashing dangerously and distorting between his and Roxas's.

"...Sora?" Hayner squinted at him, trying to discern a solid image. Sora solidified, and Pence and Hayner jumped back.

"Sora, it's you!" Pence yelled happily. Hayner lowered his fist but continued to glare at Axel suspiciously. Kairi put he arm down as well. Axel just stood in the same spot with an amused look on his face.

"Yep, I saved Sora, so I'm a good guy and all now, I guess." He yawned and stretched his arms up to the sky, Hayner tensing a bit at his sudden movement. "Let's not waste our energy bickering amongst ourselves and get on to the real issue. Have you guys seen any Heartless around?"

It was Olette who answered, obviously sensing their- well, perhaps excluding Axel's- urgency and trusting Kairi and Sora's word. "Yeah, they've been seen around the Plaza- but that's not all."

Sora looked over at her in alarm. "There's more than just the Heartless?"

"It's the person we think who's controlling them- he's been showing up there too. He's got grey hair, not because he's old but that's just its color, and these creepy yellow eyes..."

Axel became serious and narrowed his eyes. "Xemnas," he hissed.

"Not Xemnas anymore- Xehanort." Riku had a mix of anger and determination on his face.

"Xehanort?" Aqua burst in, finally learning of something she already knew about. "He really is back?" Yen Sid had warned them about Xehanort during their conversation in his tower.

Anger and indignation flashed across her blue eyes. "I will defeat him, and I will save Terra."

She saw the others' confusion through fury veiled eyes. "He's my best friend who Xehanort tempted with darkness. He stole his body!"

Riku clenched the vest over his chest where his heart was.

"He did the same to me, too," he said bitterly. "We have to help him."

Suddenly, a loud blast sounded from the plaza. They all looked up to see a pillar of darkness shoot up into the clouds and disappear. All began running towards the station as fast as they could, mentally preparing themselves to face Xehanort.


	13. Appearance

Sorry for not updating yesterday, I made a oneshot instead. x3 Hopefully this is an exciting enough chapter (haha, the thirteenth one too). I don't like writing battle scenes much, especially with all those people to put in it.

Also, I've been thinking about taking on one of Wishing-fire's challenges, though I reaaally wanted to do Axel but there's already two out there I believe. XD Not sure if I should do one yet, but would it be wrong to do another Xion since someone else has her too? x)_  
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><p><em>Appearance<em>

"Ok, so..." Riku panted as he ran alongside Aqua and Sora, headed towards the source of the darkness. "So your... friend, Terra... Xehanort stole his body? He's been... inside Xehanort for... all these years?"

Aqua gave a curt nod, her light blue hair bobbing up and down with each swift step she took as she ran.

"If he didn't find some way out, which I assume he didn't after what Master Yen Sid told me."

Riku looked as if he had more questions about Terra, but they quickly found themselves before an empty plaza underneath a peaceful clock tower. Abruptly stopping at its entrance, the group snapped their heads around in search of any sign of Heartless or Xehanort. Just as the silence began to settle in their ears and they started to relax, the pavement quaked, and rumbling was emitted from what seemed to be the air. Suddenly they stood before a towering Darkside, its hair-like tendrils wrapping over its tiny, yellow eyes like the tentacles of some giant octopus. It flexed its black fingers in anticipation, darkness swirling around it and through the heart-shaped hole in its chest. Summoning Shadows to do its dirty work below, it brought its hands to the sky to rain orbs of darkness from above.

"I'll take care of the Shadows! Kairi, get somewhere safe!" Sora yelled and began running into the fray, but Kairi stopped him.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you guys fight! Besides, practice makes perfect, right?" she yelled back, ending with a dangerous smile. Sora opened his mouth to protest, but Riku spoke first.

"Then stick by me- We're going after its hands!"

Kairi nodded and followed close behind Riku, the two swiftly dodging falling orbs with him deftly deflecting them. Aqua pulled out Master Keeper and ran up its arm towards the head, arms and Keyblade stretched out to her sides. Axel mimicked her idea and ran up the opposite arm. The two slashed at its head with sharp blows, and it let out a roar of pain and fury. In an attempt to shake them off, it lashed its tendrils around in anger. They jumped off its shoulders and back to the ground, Aqua back-flipping and landing on her hands so she could spring back up with the Keyblade bared.

"Hm, eight out of ten- your landing was a bit rough, but impressive nonetheless," Axel commented from the opposite side of the giant Heartless. Aqua rolled her eyes; how could people take the heat of battle so lightly? Lives were at stake- She was cut off in her thoughts when a colossal hand came crashing down upon her, pinning her down by her neck and below.

"Aqua!" Sora, who had been fending off the Darkside's minions alongside Donald and Goofy, came running to her aid. He stabbed his Keyblade into the center of the beast's hand, which released its grip on Aqua reluctantly. For a second, Ven- no, Roxas? - flashed before her eyes before it was Sora above her with a friendly hand outstretched. She took the offered hand and hauled herself back up.

"Thanks, Sora," she said breathlessly, lungs aching. Meanwhile, Riku and Kairi were at the other hand, slashing away. Kairi had been able to summon Destiny's Embrace with a little coaxing from Riku. She held it a bit unsteadily, carefully watching Riku's moves and trying to copy them with little success. Angrily stomping her foot after Riku had to deflect another blow from hitting her once again, Kairi whipped her Keyblade in frustration. Out of the tip sprouted a blue light that swirled and formed into a frozen mass of ice, and it flew towards the Darkside to collide with a good amount of force. Surprised for a moment, Kairi soon brightened.

"Look Riku, did you see that? I did magic!" she squealed happily, practically bouncing at her newfound power.

"That's-" He stopped to block an incoming orb and slash at a Shadow. "-great, Kairi!"

He looked up to see the hand coming down to swat them away. "Look out!"

The hand missed her by barely a few inches and continued on its course into Riku. He was knocked back about twenty feet and landed on his side, struggling to get back up as he clutched it.

"Riku!" She began running to him with a panicked look on her face. An orb flew down directly at Riku, who still was trying to push himself from the ground.

"No you don't!" Kairi gripped Destiny's Embrace in both hands and concentrated with all her might. Deep blue and yellow flashes formed around its tip and lashed out at the orb. They wrapped around it and squeezed until it disappeared in dancing sparks. Riku stood up, swaying on his feet lightly.

"Thanks, Kairi." He smiled slightly before pushing on to attack the Darkside.

Axel had made his way up the beast's arm to its head again, this time flinging his chakrams at it out of its reach.

"Sora! I'll distract it so its center is open, and then you can take it out!" he yelled down to Sora, who was at its legs. Sora nodded and ran to a spot directly in front of it with his Keyblade ready. Axel flipped back off the monster, its two beady eyes focused him as he hovered for a moment in its face. He let flames build around spinning chakrams until they were swirling balls of fire hanging at his sides. Flashing a quick smirk, he launched them directly between the eyes. It staggered back from the blast with thundering steps, cornered between the clock tower and the ledge to the city below. Sora's Keyblade flashed into two- Oblivion and Oathkeeper- and he launched himself at the Darkside, the two blades glinted as they cut through its center in a flash of light. The beast let out a roar as it was consumed with shreds of darkness, its body fading from existence along with its roar.

They watched it disappear in silent triumph, warily surveying the area for more trouble. Axel was the first to speak up.

"Man, I kinda missed getting to do stunts like that!" He rolled his arms in their sockets. "I'm a bit out of shape..."

"Well, you will enjoy what lies ahead, it seems." A dark voice emanated from nowhere, causing them to look around in alarm. It chuckled eerily, a sound that could cause hair to stand on end.

"That was merely a test, to see if you are all still capable of handling yourselves in battle."

Aqua was infuriated, eyes searching. "Show yourself, Xehanort!"

He let out an evil laugh, deep and resounding in the empty air.

"Ah, Aqua. It has been a long time, has it not, old friend?"

Some of the others couldn't help but look at her in surprise, causing her face to burn with anger and shame.

"You aren't my friend- Terra is!"

"But... I _am_ Terra." Behind them a portal swirled and materialized in wispy black tendrils. They whipped around to face it and found Xehanort hovering there, looking like a haunting apparition and manifestation of past evil deeds with his feet barely scraping the ground. His grey hair hung about his tan face where amber eyes glowed above a twisted smile.

"Here stands nearly every one of the Keyblade's chosen. What a momentous occasion to behold." He stretched his arms out dramatically before him as they glared at him with loathing. The same unearthly smile graced his lips. "How nice it is to see you all again."

He turned to Axel, eyes blazing uncontrollably with newfound emotions that he had lost for years.

"Though with _you_, traitor, perhaps I feel... differently. You could prove useful still, especially considering this interesting development with your memories."

Axel stepped back in surprise and then narrowed his eyes. "What do you know of it?" he fumed.

"I know I could give you back the things you desire, all those things that give you back what you lost," he purred smoothly, offering a hand out to Axel.

Axel looked at the hand hesitantly, like an animal unsure whether or not to take bait. Roxas surfaced within Sora, unintentionally overpowering him with panic.

"Axel, you can't! There's other ways out there, there has to be!" Roxas yelled desperately, eyes pleading. Axel jerked his head back towards Roxas like he was snapping out of a trance. He turned back to Xehanort with eyes narrowed.

"Keep your offer. I can do things on my own," he seethed as he summoned his chakrams once more. Xehanort simple withdrew his hand and chuckled darkly.

"Of course you can. But let me tell you I know what you seek and that you are going about finding her the wrong way."

Darkness encased his body once more, and soon he was gone with only his cryptic laugh lingering.


	14. Uncertainty

Hm, I think I'll probably do a challenge with Xion. Eventually...

And look 8D Things actually happening, hooray~ Oh, and Xehanort knowing about that stuff... he's a creeper. He's always watching o-o Just like Organization XIII spied on Sora and them._  
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><p><em>Uncertainty<em>

Glaring at the disappearing portal, Axel threw his two chakrams at it though he obviously knew it was pointless. Roxas cautiously went to Axel and brought his hand up to his shoulder. His hand had barely brushed the edge of his coat when he drew it back in pain, hissing through his teeth. Axel shifted his shoulder away as he intently watched his chakrams continue into the wall of a building and burn away in wisps of ash.

"You give a completely new meaning to the cold shoulder..." Roxas mumbled under his breath. With Axel's superb hearing, he half expected him to comment about his ability to understand concepts such as idioms, but Axel did no such thing. Silently standing there, Axel chided himself internally for acting so weak as to even consider taking Xehanort's offer. He refused to be a traitor to anyone- excluding Xehanort- ever again. The cogs of his usually clever and calculating mind spun. How could he even think of betraying the last person, and now people, he had left? But focusing on things more important than his own motives, which sometimes seemed near impossible to read even to himself, what did Xehanort mean by they were going about saving Xion the wrong way? He couldn't even remember her, let alone began to think of solutions! Frustration clutched at the frayed edges of his mind. He despised the confusion and inner turmoil he so impossibly received from simply thinking about Xion.

Roxas watched his best friend face away with fists clenched at his sides. Backing away, he came to stand beside Riku and Kairi. A hand tugged at the edge of his sleeve urgently.

"Shouldn't we do something? Like, talk to him or something?" Kairi whispered in Roxas's ear, albeit loudly. Slight fear was in her eyes at Axel's apparent anger.

"No. He normally never gets this angry, and when he does, he just has to cool off." His voice was low and quiet, but he knew Axel probably could hear them anyways.

Axel whipped around quickly to stare at all of them. Puzzlement riddled his once hard features.

"What are you guys all staring at?" A grin cracked his face, but only Roxas saw through the facade, one he had obviously practiced for years. "We've got stuff to do, I believe?"

He tapped his chin in pretend thoughtfulness and then joined the others, only his emerald eyes betraying what he hid in an empty chest.

"...or he could do that and just pretend like everything's okay." The hint of sarcasm was undisguised in Roxas's voice. Kairi cocked her head to the side confusedly.

"Maybe he just comes around quickly...?"

Roxas shook his head, golden locks swaying with the sudden motion. "Nobodies are good at that- hiding what they're fee- thinking," he caught himself and looked down, but not before Kairi realized what he was going to say.

"Axel just tended to be better at that than the rest of us, but once you know him, it's much easier to tell what he's thinking. Still difficult, though," he added, not really as an afterthought but as more of a confession. "Xion was better at seeing through that kind of stuff than me- I was always the 'zombie' who spaced out too much."

He chuckled lightly, but hurt turquoise eyes wandered up the side of the tower to rest on the top ledge. His gaze was pulled away by the shimmering of the back of his hand.

"Sora's calling- Tell Axel bye for me, will you please? And don't worry, he'll be ok. See you, Kairi, Namine."

Blinding blue light flashed and enveloped Roxas. Kairi could have sworn she felt Namine stir within her at the sight of him disappearing, but the feeling was fleeting.

Everyone but Kairi and Sora looked at Axel strangely after his sudden mood swing but did not question it. Axel had proven to be quite unreadable in the past and also to be one for purposely confusing people for his own amusement, so there was no point in questioning it. They slowly walked back to the Twilight Town gang's usual spot, most of them battle weary and Riku slightly injured. He grumbled something about constantly getting hurt on the same side because of Xehanort before following behind Sora and Kairi. Sora leaned over to whisper in Kairi's ear.

"What just happened?"

"Here, I'll tell you on the way..."

_xxx_

"You guys saw him?" Pence exclaimed, watching them all with wide eyes.

"Yeah, but he didn't try to fight us. He..." Riku's eyes glanced over at Axel, who was watching the dancing flame in the palm of his hand with great interest. "...just talked to us and then disappeared."

"Not until after he tried to convince me to join him again, though." Axel let the ball of fire creep along the back of his glove and to the tip of his fingers. "Course I didn't, though you should thank Roxas for that." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in Sora's direction.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette seemed caught between asking why he needed Roxas to keep him from joining Xehanort and who Roxas even was. Olette decided for them when she tapped the side of her head thoughtfully.

"I don't remember anyone named Roxas," she wondered aloud. "Though it does sound a bit familiar."

"Roxas is my Nobody," Sora stated simply. Their gaping mouths told that they never learned much of Sora's first adventure. "Yeah, um, there was this whole thing with Kairi's heart, and Xehanort's Heartless, and I ended up with a Nobody." Ending with a shrug, he gave a lopsided grin. Riku rolled his eyes; Sora was a terrible storyteller.

"We'll tell you later. It's a long story."

Just then, the subject of their conversation appeared once again in Sora's place.

"This is Roxas," Riku explained as he gestured to the Nobody. Said Nobody ignored Riku and searched around quickly for Axel. When he found him playing with the flame, making it flicker with every twitch of his fingers, Roxas spoke urgently.

"Axel, I was looking through the passageways of Sora's mind, I found something about Xion! She's there, she's still there!" he exclaimed excitedly, pure joy shining in his cerulean eyes. Axel immediately willed the flame away to listen to his friends' words intently, the same things concealed behind emerald eyes.

"What do you mean?" His blazing gaze locked onto Roxas's, eager to hear more.

"She's alive, Axel- Alive! I saw her! I couldn't get to her, and it looked like she was in some kind of sleep, but..." He closed his eyes happily and took a long breath. "She's there."

Axel was about to pry more answers from Roxas, but he suddenly found himself clutching the side of his head in pain. Blurs of people and buildings flew past and mingled with crimson sky as everything turned black.

_xxx_

"Urg... What the heck happened...?" Axel slowly pushed himself up and discovered that he was under the soft, white sheets of someone's twin bed. Concerned faces hung over him, blocking the rest of the room from view. Sheets rustled as he let himself fall back down onto the comfortable bed.

"Oh no, I think he's passing out again!" A girl's voice reached his ears, which were buried in the pillow below his head. An emerald eye irritatedly cracked open a fraction.

"I'm not passed out, just trying to sleep for real this time. With all you people hanging around it's pretty hard." He groggily opened both eyes and stretched his arms behind his head.

"That's Axel for you. He'd be passed out for hours and want to sleep more," Roxas said matter-of-factly, shrugging helplessly as he did. Axel still refused to get up. "I think he's just lazy and doesn't want to do anything."

He shot up with his eyes narrowed at his friend, flinging back the covers.

"I'm not that lazy." A pillow flew into Roxas's face. Axel slung his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

"How long was I out for?" he asked, rolling his stiff shoulders.

"About two hours," Olette estimated. "This is the guest room of Hayner's house."

Hayner was leaning against the nearby wall with his arms crossed. "Yeah, my parents weren't too happy about us dragging in some random, passed out guy into the house."

"Sorry, normally I'm not the one passing out." He looked pointedly at Roxas, who rolled his eyes. "That sure was weird though..."

"What exactly happened?" Riku asked as the others listened curiously.

"Well..." Axel scratched his head and tilted it to the side, thinking hard. "I think they were memories... but it felt more like a nightmare."

He looked up at Roxas hesitantly, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Did I... really hurt her, Roxas?"

Roxas averted his eyes from his friend's intense gaze. "You were protecting us, Axel. I didn't understand that then, but I do now."

"She doesn't hate me, does she?" Axel's question sounded much more hurt and guilty than he intended, especially to Roxas.

"Xion could never hate anyone, especially you," he reassured his friend without hesitation. "If she hates anyone, it's me."

Roxas stared at his hands as if her blood was on them. And in his mind, figuratively, it was. Axel gave up his gloomy mood to cheer up Roxas.

"Nah, like you said, she couldn't hate anyone! The Xion I -well, barely- remember was too sweet to hold a grudge. And how could anyone hate you? All you do all day is just space out." Smirking, Axel forced himself to stand up. Roxas smiled a little, lifting the dark cloud over his head slightly.

"Speaking of Roxas, how've you been out of Sora for so long?" Axel asked.

"Beats me. I feel bad for Sora though, he-" Roxas was interrupted midsentence by Axel, who had been about to sit down again when he jerked back up.

"Look out!" He referred to the Soldier Heartless creeping behind Roxas. Flying towards it, he pulled out a Keyblade in a flash of red-infused light and destroyed it in a single swipe, a pink heart floating towards the ceiling and disappearing in wisps of light. The others stared at him incredulously with open mouths while he stared back quizzically. When he looked down at the weapon in his hand, he bore the same expression.

"Axel... You have a Keyblade?"

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><p>Your face right now is probably "O-O Lol wut" but everything shall be explained in due time, my good friends.<p> 


	15. Research

Wow, long chapter. That took a while.

I think I made people explode last chapter by giving Axel a Keyblade 8D /picks pieces of people off ceiling and walls/

**Bond of Flame08**- Haha, you thought I was gonna update tomorrow. :P Surprise~ /explodes from writing

/hands cookies to all the reviewers, followers, and favorite...ers

Oh yea, and I started Wishing-fire's challenge with Xion, if anyone cares. x) Apparently **Bond of Flame08** does, thanks :D

And random, but in this chapter when I say bowels, it's in reference to iCarly because that's what was playing in the background as I wrote part of this. XD_  
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><p><em>Research<em>

"...Apparently, I do." Axel continued to gape at the Keyblade that fit comfortably in gloved hands. It was a simple Kingdom Key with minor differences. The ridges were sharp and pointed at their tips, and streaks of warm colors- namely crimson, yellow, and orange- were wrapped around the grey blade, a sunset he could pull out at a moment's notice. He shifted it in his hands, closely inspecting every aspect of his new weapon. Expectantly watching it, he looked as if he was waiting for it to disappear. When nothing of the sort happened, he looked back up at the room of open-mouthed Keyblade wielders, anthropomorphic animals, and normal people.

"Well, at least I don't feel so left out anymore." He smirked and hefted it over his shoulder confidently. "You guys have any explanation? I've got nothing."

"I have no idea, but that explains how we got out of the Realm of Darkness," Aqua spoke up from her position of analyzing in silence. "You need a Keyblade of light and a Keyblade of dark to get out, or so the legends say."

"So a Keyblade of dark, huh? What, just because I'm a Nobody? They should make Keyblades of nothing. Speaking of that, don't you need a strong heart to wield a Keyblade? Even Roxas and Xion technically have hearts, while I-" He balanced the Keyblade in the palm of his hand by its tip. "-have none."

It tipped over, and Axel swiftly caught it by the hilt.

"Yet again, no idea..." Riku put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Just when everything seemed to make some sense, more exceptions for already insecure rules had to come into play. Life just loved making things more complicated. "But back to old issues- what about Xion?"

Axel eyed him suspiciously; he sure had a knack for bringing up Xion. Roxas watched them both warily with the expression of someone babysitting little kids- dangerous little kids.

"What about her?" Axel asked back, his tone slightly irritated.

"Roxas says she's alive within Sora, so we should try to find a way to help her- right?" Riku proposed, a little unsure why they weren't mentioning it.

"And how do you propose we do that? Ripping people from other people's hearts doesn't seem like the easiest task out there to me." Axel shrugged and continued to play with his Keyblade, setting the tip on fire. Flames spread all the way up to the hilt, leaving the metal encased in the blaze. Near his hand, the fire was hotter and therefore burned a deep indigo. Closer to the tip, bright yellows and oranges burned and flickered like the fire over a candle wick.

"Ansem's research. It has to be in the old mansion still since he just abandoned it, and we know how to get in." Riku's eyes studied the blade Axel held as he thought. Ansem's countless computers had to contain some information that could help him- them find Xion. The flame wavered suddenly, breaking Riku away from his thoughts.

"Well, are we gonna go or not?" Axel extinguished the blaze, much to the relief of Hayner. His Keyblade burned away in the same crimson infused light as it came, the small ashes gradually fading away.

"Let's go then," Roxas urged, trying to usher the rest out of the room and to the front door. As they neared the door, his form began to waver and glimmer back to that of Sora. "That's not what I meant... See ya."

Sighing, Roxas reluctantly disappeared to allow Sora back. Though Axel wasn't too happy about his friend disappearing, it meant he had another person to surprise with his new weapon.

"Hey Sora- well, to fill you in, I passed out and Xion's somewhere inside you. But could I see your Keyblade?" Axel sauntered over to Sora, smirking wide. Sora looked unsure, not to mention confused and disoriented.

"Umm... Ok..." His Kingdom Key materialized in a bright flash, and he handed it to Axel hesitantly. "You know that you're not gonna be able to hold it long, though- wha?"

Axel spun the blade in the air, catching it nonchalantly as it came back down. Another Keyblade appeared in his left hand in the same manner as Sora's except for the color of the light.

"Hey, look, I'm Roxas!" He laughed as his grin spread wider. Spinning the two at his sides in the same fashion as his chakrams, he wrapped each in flames. He then sent them flying one after the other into the side of a building wall so they landed side by side, of course extinguishing them before they set anything else on fire. He ran to the wall and took two steps up it to grab each, pushing off into a back flip while shooting flames through the tips so fire spun around his body like a burning wheel. When he landed let each vanish, Sora receiving his back with a stunned face. Axel came strolling over with his smirk plastered to his face.

"Oh, and I have Keyblade for some reason. Pretty cool, huh?" That grin of his was a bit unnerving to Sora.

"Y-yea..."

"Hm, wonder if I still have my chakrams..." Flaming chakrams materialized, looking no different than they did before. He allowed the flames to incinerate them to sparks and ashes. "Yep, looks like I do. Now let's get going."

Riku fell into step next to Sora. "What a showoff," Riku grumbled.

_xxx_

Bird song and the quiet sound of rustling leaves hung about the abandoned mansion, whose curtains waved a silent hello from the glass eyes that were its windows. The unlocked gate stood tall and proud, the only thing not broken down by time or otherwise. Four- now five- Keyblade wielders, three locals, and two anthropomorphic animals made their way down the stairs into the bowels of the mansion. When they came to the huge set of glowing computer monitors, Sora looked at it strangely.

"I could've sworn I- I mean, Roxas destroyed these- oh wait, that was the virtual Twilight Town, huh..."

Axel ran a hand through his wild scarlet hair. "Got something against computers, Roxas? Remember that other one you blew up in Vexen's lab? Haha, that was hilarious..."

Sora glared at him with Roxas's eyes and expression. "I thought I told you not to talk about that! I didn't mean to!"

Axel only smirked in satisfaction of getting a reaction from Roxas. It both proved Roxas was somewhat conscious inside Sora and amused Axel.

"Let's get started then." Axel rested his hands on the countless keys as he examined the data on the screens. He pressed a few buttons, and a login screen popped up. Axel turned to the others with fingers lightly touching the keys.

"What's the password?" He mainly directed it at Riku, but Sora answered him.

"Oh, sea salt ice cream! That's what we used last time, anyways."

Axel looked at him curiously before returning to the computers. "Sea salt..." he murmured as he tapped each letter in. "Guess Ansem likes sea salt ice cream too. Hm, he did live in Radiant Garden, so that makes sense. That's where it originated."

The tapping stopped with a loud finishing click. "There ya go. Now what to search for?"

"Search 'Nobodies,'" Sora offered. Axel rolled his eyes at the young boy's attempt at being helpful.

"Uh, Sora, almost all of his research was on Nobodies," he replied, eyes still on the computer screens. After the clacking of a few keys, the words _restoring nobodies _appeared in what could be seen as a search engine, but Axel soon caught his mistake and typed in _restoring replicas._ Multiple files popped up consecutively, but none were quite as relative as they had hoped. He exited out of each file until he came to the last one, titled _Separation of Replicas. _Perking up at the new hope, he clicked on it to reveal a short journal-like entry and began to read aloud.

"_While it is possible for Replicas such as the Riku Replica to coexist alongside their originals, others similar to the Replica Xion seemingly cannot. As a being made of memories, specifically Sora's memories, it has to disappear in order to awaken Sora."_

Axel cut off, bristling at the word 'it,' but in a moment continued once more.

"_However, if it proves to be capable of creating its own personality and memories not based on that of Sora, its artificial heart can live on and not merge with that of Sora's, becoming a separate entity. Therefore, it is possible for it to be separate from Sora with the aid of the Keyblade: with his own, Sora can separate Xion's 'existence' and heart from his own. Just as the Keyblade of People's Hearts can unlock the hearts of any given person, Sora's own Keyblade can unlock Xion's- at what cost to him, I cannot say."_

At the end of the entry was a signature that bore Ansem's name, authenticating the document.

"Then… it _is_ possible to get Xion out of you." Axel tried to state without as excitement as he "felt," but it was not easily hidden. His eyes rescanned the document, searching for anything he might have missed. "But apparently there could be a cost…"

He looked crestfallen as he straightened up from his position leaning over the keyboard.

"Risks haven't stopped me before." Sora smiled cheerfully like it was nothing, putting his hands behind his mess of brown hair. Axel jerked around to look at Sora, his emerald eyes joyful, but he blinked and looked down dejectedly.

"You can't do that, Sora. People need you." He chuckled quietly at the hope he so impossibly felt, trying to suppress it because of the thought that people like him weren't supposed to have their happy endings. Nobodies were to either disappear or give in their existence for Somebodies, never the other way around.

"And you and Roxas need her, Axel. C'mon, this is probably the only way. And I've got all of you guys here to help me if something goes wrong." Sora was determined, motioning to friends as if he needed to prove that there were people out there supporting him.

"Sora…" Kairi said softly, slowly walking over to him. "We'll be here for you, don't worry."

She threw her arms around his neck, leaving Sora standing there surprised and blushing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear.

"I won't leave you again, Kairi."

They broke apart after a few quiet moments, the others pretending like nothing was happening and looking away nonchalantly. Riku simply nodded his encouragement, lightly smiling as he did. Donald and Goofy looked anxious, but they trusted Sora, and each gave a small thumbs-up. Hayner, Pence, and Olette seemed fascinated by what was about to happen, but looked nervous for their friend all the same. Aqua bit her lip, praying nothing would happen to his heart like what had happened to Ventus.

"Ok…" Sora pulled out his Keyblade and looked at it for a moment like his eyes could will the blade to as he hoped with their determination. He turned the blade on himself and pointed it to his chest, directly over his heart. Flashing a quick smile at his friends, who gave him their hope as well through worried eyes, he tapped his chest with the tip of the Keyblade, releasing a white light. The glow shimmered and sparkled into a cloud of bright, iridescent beams that swirled in front of him and down to the floor at his feet. It twirled around until it grew in size by spreading itself out into a semitransparent, human-shaped mass. Soon it darkened until the shape of a black clad young girl became definite. Her cloak solidified as her hair did, each jet black in stark contrast with the earlier shining light. Lastly her pale face appeared, filling itself in with a small mouth, petite nose, and half-closed cerulean eyes. Her legs gave way and she fell to her knees, arms hanging limply at her sides as did her head over her chest.

"Xion!" Axel ran over to steady her before she fell to the ground, kneeling down and grabbing the sides of her arms, beating Riku to her as he did so. She was unresponsive in his arms and continued to breathe slowly and kept her eyes on the floor, and his wide grin disappeared. His emerald eyes were concerned, searching over her face in anxiety for some clue as to why she was so indifferent to him. He took his hand off her arm and gently brought her face to look at his with it. And Xion stared back with a vacant gaze, sapphire eyes blank and unfeeling, looking like the broken doll many had called her.


	16. Lost Hearts

I feel like it's a bit boring, but oh well. Can't wait to see Harry Potter tonight /squeal_  
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><p><em>Lost Hearts<em>

"Xion! Xion, come on, look at me, please..." It was the closest to begging any of the others had heard Axel do. He had to hold her face in both hands just to keep it from slipping from them. Her eyes were glassy and empty, looking like the depths of a perfectly round lake, undisturbed by nature. It looked as if she held a curious gaze, except it was just that her head would not stay upright on its own and kept a permanent tilted position, and her eyes looked not at but simply through Axel.

"Axel... There's something wrong with her, Axel." Riku stood close behind Axel watching Xion over his shoulder. Axel flashed an angry jade glare at Riku, catlike eyes narrowed. If he had had a tail, it would have been lashing about in anger. When he realized the truth of Riku's words and saw his also pained expression, he let his eyes drop and sighed faintly. He turned back to Xion and picked her up gently under her limp arms and legs. Her body shifted slightly with every movement he made as he stood back up, her head eventually coming to rest in the crook of his right arm. As he turned to face the others who stood in silence, he realized that the light flowing from Sora's chest had not finished materializing. Blue shards of light pierced the air and swirled into another shape as had Xion's. Black coat and blonde locks materialized, the same sea blue eyes as Xion appearing last as well. Roxas swayed a bit before regaining his balance, blinking a few times to clear his hazy vision. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, doing a double take when he glanced at the mass of black coats a few feet in front of him.

"Axel? Xion?" A grin spread over his face as he stumbled over to the two, nearly falling into Axel. The smile vanished off his face when he saw Xion, eyes half open and vacant on a black face.

"Xion..." He brushed back one of the strands of her hair with a black glove, sadly remembering every similar memory. "...What's wrong with her..."

He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, a pained look crossing his smooth features. He fought back tears, tears he thought he didn't deserve.

"We finally get her back..." His voice cracked despite his efforts. "...but she's- she's like this..."

Sora lowered his Keyblade and let it fade away, he and the others sadly watching the two silently mourn over their friend's condition. Kairi leaned her head on Sora's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him with tears in her eyes. She buried herself in the familiar smell of Sora, his hair brushing over her cheeks and eyelids.

"She needs her heart back to properly function." A menacing, deep voice crept into the room, seeping into the corners and the depths of their ears like a parasite. Xehanort materialized in the doorway behind the computers so they all had to swing around to face him. Sora clutched at the space over his heart.

"She... doesn't have her heart back?" His mind ran through all the possibilities as to why her heart wasn't released.

"Things aren't always that... simple." He chuckled darkly as he looked over to the Nobodies. Axel tightened his grip on Xion as he glared at Xehanort with pure loathing, and Roxas copied his glare. Sora jumped up with the Keyblade in hand and clashed with Xehanort, who pulled out the two Ethereal Blades. Black and red sparks flew, lighting up Xehanort's dark smile with unnatural light.

"Good, good..." He pushed Sora away with a deft swipe of a blade, swiftly jumping back a foot and landing in midair, hovering. Amber orbs glowed in the darkness of the room.

"But perhaps... things can be that simple." An evil smile spread over his dark skin, disappearing along with the rest of them.

_xxx_

Xion lay on the same bed Axel had earlier, her head leaned to the side and her eyes looking abandoned of the light that brought them to life almost two years ago. Her hair was slightly longer than before; she seemed to have developed at the same pace as Kairi.

"She looks... a lot like you did, Kairi. When you lost your heart," Riku said quietly, his voice almost a murmur. She was so... broken. He watched over her from a few feet away, allowing Axel and Roxas their space. "How are we going to get her heart back from Sora?"

The room stayed silent, only the light puffs of breath gracing the air.

"There has to be a way. There's gotta be more research, something on Ansem's computer," Sora said helplessly, a lost determination falling from his face.

"I think Ansem wouldn't have thought this complication would happen. Besides, I looked at every file that had anything to do with what we were searching for. There's nothing else about this." Axel pushed a few stray locks of raven hair off from over Xion's eyes, his glove lightly brushing her cheek. For a moment, he saw her eyes the way they had been, lustrous and joyful, but the image shattered and left broken orbs, staring off at nothing.

"But Xehanort knows something. He obviously knows what went wrong. We have to go after him anyways, and maybe we'll get some answers along the way."

He looked up slightly at Roxas, the faintest grin touching his face. "And now we've got more help, too."

Riku nodded and turned towards Hayner, Pence, and Olette. "We should probably get going."

Everyone began moving around, Axel carefully picking Xion up in his arms with Roxas and Riku watching cautiously and Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Sora making sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Aqua had no belongings and no one to really fuss over, so she took the duty of supervising all of them like the Master she was.

"Aww... Well, make sure you guys come back soon! You're always welcome here!" Pence quickly shifted from a gloomy mood to his usual optimistic self.

"Yeah! Things can get really boring around here." Olette smiled and giggled, jabbing Hayner in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ow! Yeah, you know, come back and stuff." Rubbing his side, he forced a grin when he saw Olette glaring at him. "See ya guys."

_xxx_

"So where are we going again?" Sora lay in the middle of the Gummi Ship floor, smiling at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

"I already told you!" Donald's grating voice came from the driver's seat. "We're heading back to Disney Castle to report to the King!"

"Oh yeah..."

Xion had been placed on the small twin bed that extended out of a wall like a loft in the back of the ship. Roxas and Axel had pulled up chairs by her, talking less animatedly as they normally would have, but happily all nonetheless. Riku, Kairi, and Aqua were sitting in a cluster next to Sora, discussing the possibilities as to what happened to Xion's heart. So far none had come to a solid conclusion except for the fact that something must have been blocking her heart in Sora the same way something blocked Axel's memories of her, considering they were connected.

"It's a sad thing to say, but it looks like we're mostly going to have to rely on Xehanort for answers. Go figure." Riku shrugged, trying to keep his lopsided grin on his face. Aqua reluctantly nodded, but Kairi didn't completely understand.

"What about Master Yen Sid, and King Mickey? They have to know something," she offered, hoping they would agree.

"How can they know as much as Xehanort?" Riku shook his head, shaking his silver hair slightly. "As much as I'd rather not rely on our enemy for a solution, they won't know as much, and the only other person who would know anything is losing his memory in the Realm of Darkness."

"I guess..." Kairi trailed off.

_xxx_

They arrived at Disney Castle about two hours later, safely landing in the Gummi Ship hangar so as not to destroy the garden again. Xion was left on her bed in the ship, considering that darkness couldn't breach the castle and there was really no point in bringing her. They walked through the halls to the library, chatting mildly when the doors swung open and nearly hit Sora, making them all stop abruptly. Mickey stood in the center of the now open doors, Keyblade in hand.

"Sorry fellas, but there's trouble! Xehanort's been spotted in multiple worlds!"

Sora scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, um, we ran into him already," he said somewhat sheepishly as if they should've reported earlier. Mickey looked at the faces before them and found a new addition in their midst. Sora noticed and motioned to Roxas.

"After we ran into him the first time, we found research of Ansem's that told us how to separate Xion from me. We did, and Roxas was separated too," he explained. "But then Xehanort showed up and said Xion needed her heart back."

He looked down, ashamed that he didn't have a solution. "I don't know what went wrong…"

Mickey saw his downcast mood. "Cheer up, Sora! You just saved two more people! All we gotta do is get Xion her heart back! You saved two people in one day, so getting her heart should be a breeze for you," he said cheerfully. Sora looked up, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Thanks, Your Majesty- I mean Mickey." He laughed a bit at his blunder and straightened up to his full height. Putting on his biggest, goofiest smile, he turned to his friends. "So let's get going so we can save her as soon as possible!"


	17. Repeat

**Nicolas sur: **Calm down, I didn't say she wasn't coming back at all, did I? o-o And it's because she sacrificed for others that she got in this mess, unfortunately. Don't worry, you'll see Xion the way you want to soon. I personally believe she is very strong, especially in the way that she sacrifices for others.

I _was_ going to have them travel to different worlds, but I felt like it would drag on too long and that you guys are getting bored. So here, stuff actually happening /throws it at you_  
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><p><em>Radiant Garden<em>

"They're still having trouble here?" The huge group of Keyblade wielders and animals walked through what used to be Hollow Bastion. Everything had been rebuilt, from the shops to the planters full of colorful flowers. Sora found it hard to believe it was having any trouble with Xehanort and the Heartless in the current peaceful state.

"Apparently. The Restoration Committee sent out a distress message to us at Disney Castle," Mickey explained as he looked for signs of trouble. They were walking through the central shop area, which was eerily abandoned of all its customers and salespeople.

"I don't like the looks of this…"

"Look who it is, yet again. The Keyblade wielders and their pets," Xehanort's unmistakable voice rumbled. In a swirl of shadows, he stood in the center of the plaza. They pulled out their weapons and stood ready for battle, determination written upon their faces.

"How are you enjoying your Keyblade, Axel?" An unearthly smile graced his lips like a seeping shadow. Axel looked ready to retort but decided against it, despite what the others expected.

"Surely… it reminds you of another's Keyblade?" His amber eyes glowed with malevolence and malicious glee. Axel faltered and glanced down to the Keyblade in hand, quickly letting his glare come back to Xehanort.

"So what if it does?" he spat, catlike eyes glowering.

Xehanort held the unnatural grin upon his face but said nothing. He slowly brought out each Ethereal Blade one at a time, gripping each with confidence. "It is time your skills were truly put to the test, Sora."

With a flourish of his gloved hand, he brought up an invisible barrier between Sora and the others that flashed pink from top to bottom for a moment before becoming invisible again. Riku slashed at it wish his Keyblade, but dark sparks flew where they collided and nearly hit him. Kairi started to run to help Sora, but Riku grabbed her before she could touch the barrier.

"Don't! It'll hurt you!" Riku looked up from the somewhat struggling Kairi he was holding back. "Looks like Sora's on his own."

Suddenly, countless Shadows and Soldiers appeared alongside a towering Darkside outside the barrier. They headed towards the houses and Keyblade wielders in a crazed fury, sensing their hearts as well as the people hiding away in their homes.

"And it looks like we've got our own problems here!" Riku embedded the Way to the Dawn in the empty chest of a nearby Soldier, cutting his way through to the Darkside. Kairi ran close behind, clutching Destiny's Embrace with determination. Aqua attacked a few shadows with varying magic and suddenly was spinning on her toes with her Keyblade held high over her head spewing light pink shimmers and beams that destroyed numerous enemies. Donald and Goofy were back to back, Donald with his staff spitting magic and Goofy tossing his shield clumsily into the fray. Axel and Roxas were also partnered up, Axel throwing his chakrams so they rebounded haphazardly from enemy to enemy to set them aflame, and Roxas letting poles of light streak through hordes of enemies and into the Darkside. Mickey did not stray far from the barrier, eliminating nearby Soldiers but keeping a close eye on Sora.

"Leave my friends alone!" Sora yelled at Xehanort, Keyblade bared. Xehanort's eyes glinted at Sora's anger.

"Yes, Sora… Savor that rage and despair. Let it empower you!" He brought the two blades together in a clash of sparks until they melded into a single weapon. He pulled the Keyblade back, its single icy eye embedded in the toothed tip staring Sora down with a cold, unwavering look.

"Give your heart over to darkness!" He lunged at Sora with tenacity, attempting to plunge the blade into his chest. Sora leapt back unharmed and defiantly brought his Keyblade into a position to fight.

"Never!"

He let a burst of fire magic fly out the tip of his Keyblade to stun Xehanort before leaping through the fading flames. Keyblades locked in a screech of metal as if they were screaming curses at one another. Xehanort pulled back and let loose powerful blizzard magic, which Sora countered with another blast of fire magic. He flipped over Xehanort's head, striking him between the shoulder blades as he did so. Xehanort quickly warped away and healed himself, grinning with evil glee as he concentrated on bringing out the most powerful move he had in his arsenal. His blade transformed into a huge Keyblade with two giant prongs in the front and pumping shafts of metal in the back that shot darkness infused balls of light. The explosion from them sent Sora flying into the barrier, where he was pelted with even more, barely dodging each as time progressed. Sora stood shakily on his feet, still gripping his Keyblade steadily. He ran towards Xehanort but was stopped in his tracks as Xehanort froze him where he stood with a huge Blizzaga. Sora struggled to free himself of the icy prison to no avail; his entire body was encased in a layer of ice, though he could still see and breathe. Xehanort walked over to him slowly with the Keyblade behind his back, chuckling darkly.

"History tends to repeat itself, so it seems."

He brought his Keyblade up, gripping it with two hands, and plunged it directly into Sora's chest.

_xxx_

Even from where Riku and Kairi were attacking the Darkside alongside Aqua nearby the houses, they could still see and feel the blast of darkness coming from where Xehanort had trapped Sora, as well as hear Sora's agonized scream. Luckily, they were close to defeating the Darkside and combined their power to finish it off fairly quickly. They all ran back to find Mickey by a slowly fading barrier.

"What happened?" Kairi demanded. The worry in her voice for Sora belied the true pain she felt; the two could not compare.

"I-it's..."

"What? It can't be…" Aqua gasped as she clenched the Keyblade in her hand. Lying on the ground before Xehanort's feet, was another boy similar to Sora. He was unmasked, his tawny eyes blazing as he lay on the ground, jet black hair identical to Sora's aside from color hanging about his face in a chaotic jumble of locks. Like some puppet on a string, his seemingly broken body pulled itself from the ground with arms limply at his sides. His head hung in the same fashion until it whipped into position with a snap, a malicious smirk planting itself on his pale face. A Keyblade materialized in his hand in a twist of dark streaks.

"Vanitas!"

He turned fluidly to face them, his body practically gliding over the ground below him. His dangerous leer bore into their eyes, leaving them disoriented and disturbed.

"Hello, Aqua."


	18. Breakaway

**Destiny's Call**: K, I lied, it's not the _longest _chapter, but it's fairly long (relatively) nonetheless. And it's the beginning of the end. If that makes sense.

I don't know how well all this is gonna settle with all you people, please don't hurt me. /hides in corner

And just a sidenote, but Vanitas is so fun to write. o-o He's so... evil. 

And at a certain part I'm pretty sure you'll guess when you get there, it's _perfect _to listen to the song Dareka no negai ga kanau koro._  
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><p><em>Breakaway<em>

"Hello, Aqua." Vanitas stared them down with his amber glare, assessing each with haughty confidence.

"Hmph, this is it? I was hoping for more of a challenge." He chuckled lightly, still watching them with that tawny gaze. His eyes came to Axel, who stiffened and gripped the Keyblade in his hand tighter in response.

"So you're the one..." He said mostly to himself, keeping the evil smile on his lips. Before Axel could question him as to what "one" he was, Aqua cut in.

"How did Xehanort bring you back? What have you done with Ven's heart? Where is Sora?" she screamed at him, cerulean eyes flashing with indignation.

"You're looking at him." He gestured to himself by spreading his bodysuit-clad arms wide. "I _am_ Ven, and I _am_ Sora."

His smirk grew until it looked as if it touched the corners of his face, perfect white teeth glinting in the daylight.

"Just another part of them. The _better_ part."

"Stop with your mind games!" Aqua yelled in rage, earning silent respect from her companions with her fury.

"What mind games? I'm telling the truth. What's not to understand?" He shrugged with mock helplessness, slowly shaking his head so his black tresses swept over his pallid visage. "I always thought you were the brighter one, Aqua. Not like the idiot or that blockhead Terra," he scoffed as he waved his hand slightly in disgust. Aqua growled dangerously, only managing to amuse Vanitas.

"Ven's heart has been within Sora for over the past eleven years."

Aqua jumped back in shock, even the others not familiar with Ven widening their eyes in surprise.

"How you couldn't have figured that out by now- now that I don't know. But now, I'm in control of both. Not that any of this matters to you, since you're all going to die anyways." He took his fighting stance with Keyblade pulled back and hand held challengingly in front of him, as if in a permanent taunt.

"Now, Vanitas. There is something that must be done first." Xehanort sounded as if he was reminding Vanitas of some predetermined plan.

"Hmph." He withdrew reluctantly, contenting himself to watching the heroes' confusion with amusement written on his pale face.

Xehanort waved his hand over the empty space at his feet where Sora had lay just moments before. Xion's limp body materialized as he did so, her vacant gaze still unwavering.

"How did you-" Riku stepped forward alarmed but afraid that if he came any closer he would put Xion at risk.

"You really should've kept Xion well protected. But that doesn't mean I'm going to hurt her, no... You do want her back, don't you?" he asked though he knew the obvious answer.

"We have to save Sora first before we can save Xion- their hearts are both at risk to the darkness inside Vanitas!" Mickey told them. Vanitas stepped forward towards Xion, causing Riku and Axel to both flinch and Roxas to yell her name desperately. Vanitas looked at the three and stopped midstep. He threw his head back and let out a crazed laugh, insane and spine tingling.

"Look at you three, all this trouble over this?" He nudged Xion with his foot. "A Replica?"

He pulled his foot away and watched gleefully as he angered the three, Axel and Riku each with a more ferocious look than Roxas, though Roxas was equally as enraged. Vanitas raised his eyebrow at two glaring at him with fiery stares.

"A pawn of darkness, and a Nobody?" His demented laugh rang in their ears. "And this Replica? How fitting, but how _pathetic_."

Riku and Axel both hardened their glares. Vanitas turned his back on them and addressed Xehanort as if they were toys that lost their novelty.

"Let's get this show on the road."

Xehanort did not look pleased with his tone but continued on nonetheless.

"Don't try and trick us, Xehanort! You're just trying to distract us from fighting Vanitas!" Aqua yelled, eyes ablaze with anger and determination. She was prepared to rid the worlds of them once and for all.

"Wait too long, and you risk his darkness tainting her heart. Sora can handle the darkness since it has nested within him for over eleven years, but she cannot." He pointed his Keyblade at Xion. "So what are you waiting for?"

He threw his Keyblade over her and onto the floor before the opposing Keyblade wielders, its keychain clattering noisily.

"You know where her heart is, surely?"

Riku eyed the blade that stared back with its eerie eye.

"Why should we listen to you?"

"You wish to save Xion, and I merely offer a way to. You play into my plans, yes, but I know you will not give up an innocent life. Especially not the innocent life of a friend." His unearthly smile spread at the flawless plan.

"We can't get her heart out of Sora though..." Riku growled in frustration. "Not to mention we're going along with his plan..."

Axel stepped forward cautiously and leaned down to the Keyblade, letting his own clatter to the ground at his side. He picked it up and could feel the dark currents running through the blade itself, clawing at his hand as if looking for a way in.

"What are doing, Axel?" Riku watched him pick the Keyblade up with a mixture of confusion and frustration. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Xehanort's smile widen over his tanned face.

The others confusedly watched Axel slowly examine it in his hands with a far-off look. Roxas's eyes suddenly widened, and he stepped forward with a clenched hand before him in lost hope.

"No, Axel! There has to be another way, something- There..."

The others had lost expressions as they watched the two. Axel laughed quietly. "See you, partner."

He gripped the Keyblade between his two hands, turning it on himself, and plunged it into his own chest.

"Axel!" Roxas screamed, running to his best friend in desperation. It couldn't be happening, it couldn't, just couldn't, he had already lost Axel and it couldn't happen again.

Axel let the Keyblade drop from his hands and fall to the floor in a swirl of dark tendrils. A bright ball of shimmering light formed where he had stabbed his chest with the Keyblade. It flew out and hovered in the air before being whisked away towards Xehanort. It dived down and embedded itself in Xion's chest. Her half closed cerulean eyes opened up completely and regained their luster and life. She pushed herself up on unsteady hands, looking around at the world like a newborn. Then her eyes found Axel standing off to her right with Roxas running towards him.

"Axel! Roxas!" she yelled joyfully, pushing herself to her feet and nearly stumbling but determinedly rebounding back to run over to her best friends, tears of bliss forming in her eyes. Her lost friends, her best friends, the ones she loved so much were right there, right in front of her, and it wasn't a dream.

And Axel fell to his knees and to the floor, his body fading into small shards of black and white.

"Axel!" Xion screamed in agony; she just found her friends and yet again, one lay on the ground. She ran to his side as did Roxas, turning him over gently to face them. She grabbed his face in her hands; her tears, now of anguish, fell on him, for him.

"No, Axel, you can't... Look at me, please!" In desperation, she cast a Curaga spell in a small, hurried murmur. Her hands that rested on his cheeks pulled his face towards her, trying to make his emerald gaze meet hers. It did briefly, but it slipped away like the grains of sand through an outstretched hand.

"No, no..." she whispered hopelessly. "Roxas, we have to do something, w-we..."

Roxas looked at her through azure eyes over tear streaked cheeks. He shook his head slowly, never breaking their silent connection, letting his gold hair fall over his forehead. His eyes were wide and brimming with the utmost pain, but lost and broken. The same eyes he had looked at her with the last time she had seen him. She wished so ardently that she could have come back to happy faces of the past- no, what a selfish thought, she banished it immediately. She was wishing for her own happiness, but she should have been wishing for theirs, for the happiness of the two people that brought the meaning of the word with their smiles.

Axel managed to bring his hand up to the side of her head, letting his fingers run through her black hair. His emerald orbs were strong again, locking with hers.

"You're not selfish… Xion." His voice was a whisper, but still strong. He could see her thoughts before him as if she were an open book to read. "You're brave, and amazing, and… I…"

Axel struggled to keep his hand against her head. It slipped down to rest against her cheek, brushing her tears away. He never finished, he simply smiled. Xion had never seen him really _smile,_ it had been a characteristic smirk, or grin, or a smile concealing hidden thoughts and feelings. But those shields had fallen, leaving a real smile. She looked at it through tear-filled sapphire eyes, trying desperately to offer a smile back for that happiness she saw on his face that was never there before. If only, if only she could have seen him smile before.

And then he was gone.

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><p>...<p>

Too corny and sappy? Too like Sora and Kairi? .-. Sorry. XD

Chapter title inspiration is from happening to be listening to _Breakaway_ as I pulled out the file. x)


	19. Unsaid, Unheard

Augh, don't kill me! /cowers behind Axel... oh wait...

Didn't think you'd all freak out that bad. x) I don't want to tell you much, but I'll just tell you that you'll be happy in the end, ok? XD

Now _this_ might be the longest chapter, I dunno. I would've submitted it earlier today, but I swore I would finish this MMV/AMV I was working on. (It's Aku/Xion, if you want to watch it. My Youtube username is jcthegirl as well. It's called _a { m o m ε n τ } like this_. Hopefully I'm allowed to tell you about that stuff here...? x)

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><p><em>Unsaid, Unheard<em>

"Axel!" Xion screamed desperately at the empty space in front of her, light and dark shards floating away from her despite her pleas. They were beautiful, catching the light of the sun and the hues of the flowers around and tossing it across her face like a gentle splatter of paint. The light they cast made her fresh tears shine and send small glimmers on the ground to shake back and forth with her sobbing body. Her hands trembled against the smooth stone. Her and Roxas's tears splattered and merged on the now vacant ground, washing over it like some violent ocean in a howling storm. She watched each tear travel along the cracks and seep into the ancient soil buried beneath cold stone.

"No... No..." She stayed slumped on the ground, not even realizing Roxas was in a similar position while she rested against his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder and put his face against her head, letting his tears streak down strands of her hair. Xion suddenly stiffened in his arms. He could almost feel her snap, both physically and mentally, their connection braving that of simple friends. But then again, nothing about them was ever simple. It never was.

Xion pushed herself out of Roxas's arms and to her feet. Her Keyblade flew to her hand, its blade now intertwined with all the warm streaks of the sunset. Cerulean orbs burned into that amber blaze of Xehanort's.

"You knew..." Her voice was hoarse but carried all the anger and rage she threw at him. "You knew this would happen!"

It crescendoed into a tormented scream, which twisted into a roaring battle cry. She flew at him in blind fury, eyes flashing from indigo to azure with her hatred. The Keyblade locked with Xehanort's, screeching at him with an animal's cry. His laugh rippled the air in his beastly pleasure. He took a step forward and flung her back with ease, watching her hit the ground with sick satisfaction.

"Of course I knew. But Axel chose his own fate."

Xion pierced the heavy air with a blazing glare aimed at Xehanort as she lay on the ground in pain.

"Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew where your heart was. How else could he have had a Keyblade? Why else would Roxas be pulled from Sora when he was near? With your 'existence' inside that of Roxas, your heart reacted to it and brought him about. Because you tricked yourself into believing in his fake emotions, your heart found its way to him. So he rescued both of you yet again."

His words were a slap across the face to both, yet it drew blood and scarred.

"What a fool he was. Pretending he cared, lying to himself. He is better off gone."

Xion's nails dug into the grey stone and let out a harsh screech. Despite her pain, she launched herself at him to be blocked by Vanitas, who laughed maniacally as he pushed her back with a flick of his blade. When he locked eyes with his prey, he jumped off the ground and brought his Keyblade down to clash with hers. His grin stretched across his face from ear to ear. Aqua's eyes widened.

"Xion, that's what they want! Don't fight back!" Xion did not hear her and slashed back at Vanitas's side only to for her Keyblade to meet with his in black shreds of sparks. Their image wavered and became distorted. Xion threw a glance back over her shoulder as she struggled to not be overpowered by Vanitas. Vanitas grinned maliciously and allowed her to slice into his chest with her Keyblade. She quickly glanced back to see her Keyblade embedded in his chest with tendrils of darkness seeping up the metal. She looked back to her friends and her sapphire eyes met those of Roxas, and in a distortion of shadows, they flashed away.

Before they could react to Xion's disappearance, Xehanort threw his head back and laughed with malicious glee. A swirling black and white barrier formed a giant dome around the group of now seven. It hummed and zapped and crackled sporadically, sparks dancing on its surface.

"When Xion's nonexistence rested within Sora, all the darkness within her heart was filtered into him from inside Axel, and therefore into Vanitas. Xion's heart is now pure- she is a Princess of Heart!"

He raised his arms to the sky, as if Kingdom Hearts itself hung above them.

"No!" Aqua yelled, she and Mickey both seeing history repeat itself before their eyes.

"She and Vanitas shall clash, and the X-blade shall be forged once again!"

He chuckled darkly, white teeth flashing under the glinting barrier.

"But this time, Vanitas cannot be defeated- Sora still is within him, and Roxas's and Ven's existences are tied with his. Xion will not risk their lives, no matter the circumstances."

He lowered his head to let his tawny eyes to wander over the heroes before him.

"And now, I have no use for you. It is time for a new era to dawn, with me as its overseer. I shall cleanse these worlds of the impurities of the past so my realm will become pure- starting with the Keyblade wielders of old!"

_xxx_

A twisted, demented laugh echoed in the dark. Xion felt a cold, smooth surface through her black gloves. Her reddened eyes fluttered open, revealing a place nearly as dark as the back of her eyelids. She lay on a raised platform over endless darkness, its stained-glass top stained with bright splashes of color. Her right hand rested over a large splotch of deep crimson, and she could make out the spiked shape the hue was melded into.

"Axel..."

Fingers clenched against the floor and trembled as her tears from her eyes and down the cheek pressed against the sleek surface.

"Quit crying. He's gone, simple as that." Vanitas's deranged laugh attacked her ears yet again.

"Now get up and fight."

He aimed the jagged tip of his Keyblade at her as he drew it up and next to his head. His other hand hung palm up, taunting her with a twitch.

"Why should I?" Her quiet voice rang in the empty realm.

"Don't fight, and I'll wreak havoc over the worlds. Don't fight, and my existence will stamp out Sora's and his Nobody's nonexistence for good. Don't fight, and you lose the last people you have, and it'll be your fault. Just like it was with that pathetic Nobody."

He gestured to the black and red beneath her with his Keyblade. A scream built up in her throat and let itself loose as she tensed up on the floor and launched herself at him. She found herself slashing at empty space and soon after thrown to the edge of the Station by a blast of blizzard magic. Her Keyblade clattered to the floor next to her, just out of reach. Vanitas sauntered over to her slowly and pressed a boot into her chest.

"What did he see in you?" he wondered aloud as his amber eyes burned into her cerulean ones. He dug his heel into her and watched her writhe in pleasure.

"Pathetic."

Xion struggled to get a tight grip on her Keyblade. Her fingers slipped over the hilt helplessly, only managing to push it farther from her. Vanitas reveled in her desperation and struggling with a sick grin. She finally grasped the handle and twisted over to slash Vanitas in the side. He staggered back slightly, giving Xion enough space to slide out from under his boot and shoot off a Fission Firaga. Groaning slightly in pain, he snarled. He summoned his Keyblade, but it was different than the one he had held before. It was made of two Keyblades combined, their hilts melding into a handle for Vanitas. A reddish-orange aura hovered around the darkness imbued blade. Chips of the pulsing blade were broken off, leaving it looking incomplete. The hilt was surrounded by an intricate pattern of spikes, some half gone and carrying that dark aura. Xion stole a glance at it before returning her attention to Vanitas, holding her Keyblade in front of her in both a defensive and offensive position. He pointed the strange Keyblade at her chest with an insane laugh.

"Oh, this? It's the χ-blade."

He pronounced it the same as one would pronounce Keyblade, but both the way he said it and the word itself sent shivers down her spine.

"A Keyblade born for the sole purpose of opening Kingdom Hearts, one you just helped me create."

His glinting orbs locked with Xion's.

"Created when two hearts, one of pure darkness and the other of pure light, clash. But just as it was with Ventus, it cannot be complete until one overpowers the other- so you must disappear once again!"

Vanitas concentrated his energy into the blade as he knelt slightly.

"What's yours is mine!"

Suddenly, he sprung forward and let loose a huge red and orange shockwave that sliced the air with a deafening snap. Xion barely dodged the blast in time, rolling to the side and staying kneeled on the ground. Another identical shockwave ripped through the air, sending ripples through the space around it. She took to dodge rolling away from each blast from Vanitas. When he stopped gliding, Xion leaned against the ground panting. Just when she thought his attacks had finished, he reared up and launched himself into the air, hovering there for a moment to slash the air diagonally. An x-shaped blast seared the air and zoomed towards her, hitting her in the side. She flew back onto her other side, skidding over the cold floor. Vanitas gave her a crazed grin.

"Show me anguish!"

A flash of red-orange light went up, signaling his berserk attack. Xion reacted quickly and leapt up to slash him down his front. He was thrown back a few feet, and Xion took advantage of the moment to let out a Firaga and a barrage of attacks. He suddenly warped away in a fashion that reminded Xion of Xigbar, hanging in midair, except instead of shooting high charged crystals, he let loose ferocious, consecutive slices at Xion. She tried to find an opening to attack him, but it would leave her unprotected from behind. Instead she blocked them and retaliated with a crimson infused beam of light that homed in on Vanitas.

"There's no escape!"

He stopped teleporting from place to place and instead slashed across the platform in midair, leaving trails of dark tendrils in his wake. Xion jumped out of the way only for him to flip around and speed toward her. She put the Keyblade in front of her to absorb the blow and with sheer willpower and strength pushed him away with an angry cry. He smirked dangerously and back flipped into the air. He surrounded the tip of the blade with three Blizzagas that shot out bright blue and black infused beams. The three dark lights came together into a single beam of pulsing energy. Xion's Keyblade let loose a powerful ray of glimmering crimson and untainted white light. The two beams collided in a spectrum of bright sparks. The air crackled and rippled around the two, each pushing their Keyblades forward in determination.

"Just give in! You have nothing left!" Vanitas yelled over the howl of the glaring rays, smiling madly. Xion simply concentrated and let the beam brighten and thicken, beginning to overpower Vanitas. Behind her, the pillar began to crack and shatter, huge chunks breaking off and falling to the darkness below. Her light had nearly overtaken the dark aura of Vanitas, but the Station crumbled beneath her feet. She screamed as she put all her power into the ray of gleaming light. It engulfed Vanitas and the χ-blade in a blinding flash. Shards of glass fell away under her feet. She could hear Vanitas's anguished scream as her Keyblade flew from her hand and she plunged to the black abyss.

_xxx_

_At least... At least they're safe now. _

It was dark. There was nothing, it was empty except for the perpetual black that stretched on as far as the eye could see- if the eye was able to see anything without light.

Xion felt as if she were falling down, slowly and endlessly and just down.

_Will I be like this forever? Just falling?_

She opened her eyes, her thick eyelashes brushing against the porcelain skin below her eyes. There was still darkness before her eyes; that did not change. She closed them again. There was no reason to open them if it reminded her where she was. She felt her eyelids close slowly. They had nearly come back to rest completely against her eyes when she actually saw something through the small crack left open. Light, a faint shimmer. It came from above her, illuminating her face with its soft glow. It had definite shape as well, and it came closer. She reopened her eyes with a flutter of eyelashes. A hand. She looked for the source of the gentle light that cast itself over her and the outstretched hand, but there was none. She realized that the hand itself was the source of light. Reaching her own hand out to it, she saw her own hand emitting an identical light. Her hand was brought into a loose grasp, fingers intertwining with hers. When she felt the hold tighten and secure, she was pulled into strong arms that wrapped around her protectively. They were warm, strong, safe.

_Maybe... if it could stay like this, I could stay here forever. _

She saw the light overtake the darkness around, slowly engulfing her and her savior until everything was white.

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><p>To be continued, bwohohoho. Ok, I hope that battle scene wasn't too bad because I hate writing battle scenes :C Do you guys want one with Xehanort, or do you want me to skip it and be like "oh yea that happened as this happened?"<p>

Please don't kill me, you'll all be happy, don't worry e-e_  
><em>


	20. χ

_Sorry for the long wait, I've been a lazy bum and had major blockage of the writing skeelz with this. :I I had really been looking forward to writing Axel's disappearance and the bits after this, so with the stuff between I wasn't sure what to do._

_Next chapter might be the last chapter ;o; There'll probably be 22 chapters at the most (though nothing is set in stone). I'm more of a write as I go person._

_Anyways, hope you enjoy this, even if I don't particularly like this chapter. XD  
><em>

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><p><em>χ<em>

A dark gale howled overhead, clawing at the base of the azure firmament. Buildings looked as if they were going to be ripped from their foundations and sent hurling into the blackened sky. Roxas's spiked hair whipped about as he clashed his two blades with Xehanort's. He gritted his teeth, trying to gain the upper hand. Kairi quickly came to his side with an attempt to slash at Xehanort's side, but a dark barrier was thrown up and sent Kairi flying back. Her image distorted into that of Naminé like some incomplete transformation. Roxas watched her skid away with wide eyes, beginning to loosen his position in order to run to her aid.

"Naminé! Kairi!"

Kairi-Naminé pushed herself off the ground with the tip of her Keyblade, shaking her head. She suddenly looked up to Roxas. "Look out!"

Roxas returned his attention to Xehanort a moment to late. His distraction was enough for Xehanort to slip from the stalemate and jab upward into his stomach. The blade would have gone completely through Roxas's center had it not been for Naminé- she was much more solid now- who warped in front of Xehanort and pushed him back with a quick swipe.

Roxas collapsed on his knees, clutching his stomach in pain. Blood seeped through his fingers and flowed steadily out to the ground. Naminé rushed to his side, kneeling down and quickly opening her mouth to perform a Curaga. Xehanort had recovered and had warped behind her, about to bring his Keyblade down on her.

Riku leapt in and took the harsh blow with the side of Way to the Dawn. He staggered back from the sheer force, shoes slipping over the pavement as he kept his blade locked with Xehanort's.

"Riku-"

"Get him out of here!" he managed, gasping for breath after. His mind was a confused jumble of thoughts. Why did it hurt so much to see her lean over a bleeding Roxas with concerned eyes? Why did it hurt to watch Xion desperately clutch Axel's face in an attempt to keep him alive? It was a selfish, selfish thought, he told himself so, but would anyone ever do that for him if he was hurt or dying?

After making sure Naminé had helped Roxas to a safe place, Riku jumped away from Xehanort, panting heavily. Couldn't he have someone like that for himself? He was brought back to reality by Xehanort's tawny gaze boring into him.

But that was exactly the kind of thinking that got his heart overtaken by darkness the last time, with Kairi. Jealousy had fed the dark fires within him, just as Xehanort's Heartless had planned. Shaking away the thoughts with a spray of silver hair, he tried to focus on the task at hand. Save the worlds first, brood later.

Aqua jumped to his side, leaving Donald, Goofy, and Mickey to deal with the now summoned hordes of Heartless and Guardian.

"Riku- we can't kill him, Riku. Terra's still inside him." Her blue eyes were pleading; how ironic it was for someone as determined to save and dedicated to protecting the worlds as her to not want to destroy the ultimate enemy. But he understood. Just as Sora never gave up on him when he was shrouded in the deepest darkness, he would do the same for another- especially one who was had faced the same circumstances as he had, except lost.

"I know. We'll save him, Aqua." His voice was reassuring and strong. He could see that same shine hidden in her eyes that he had seen in Naminé's and Xion's. Determination, and... love. The three were so different, yet they were the same.

_Maybe-_

"Riku!" Xehanort jumped forward to run Riku through with his Keyblade. Riku quickly parried the blow, twisted around with Keyblade swung out wide, and launched Xehanort back about ten feet with a Dark Firaga. Xehanort gracefully kept his balance and let out a deep chuckle.

"You should know better than to use dark attacks against me, Riku. After all, I am the one who gave you such powers."

Riku bristled with anger; of course he had not forgotten that. It was pure instinct to use such attacks in cases of peril. Aqua watched his brewing anger with wary eyes.

"Careful, Riku."

She didn't need to say any more than that. Riku suppressed the anger and brought his focus to the battle. The two were about to lunge at him when a swirling vortex of darkness manifested itself in midair between them and their target. Backing away cautiously, they watched and waited for whatever was going to emerge.

A curled up body floated amidst the imploding portal. It unfurled itself with an ending flex of the muscles, accompanied by an insane laugh. Vanitas floated down to the ground holding the coveted χ-blade in a confident grasp.

"No, Xion-"

Aqua held Riku back with her free hand.

"She's still ok- their hearts will clash, but we'll still have to defeat his physical body. At least that's what I think happened with Ven..." She bit her lip in doubt. Riku took the explanation to heart; he needed something to keep himself going on.

"What kind of Keyblade is that?" Riku's eyes widened at the sight of the double hilted and bladed Keyblade bathed in a dark aura. The scent coming off it was... surprisingly not foul, its strange scent mixed with the potent and foul one of Vanitas. It was different that anything he had encountered, but it reminded him slightly of Roxas- darkness and light intertwined.

"The χ-blade- the most powerful Keyblade of all, capable of opening the door to Kingdom Hearts!" Vanitas's yell was easily heard over the gale, but at the mere mention of the infamous entity it seemed to become even more ferocious than before.

Riku stared at the all-powerful χ-blade with disbelief and horrified amazement. Vanitas took in his look with a satisfied, maniacal grin. Suddenly a plan came to mind- it almost sounded like a... a voice in the back of his head, whispering in desperate urgency.

"Aqua, I have an idea. You go after Xehanort, and I'll get Vanitas. Just trust me on this, ok?" Aqua didn't need any other form of proof; the look in his eyes and his words were enough. She nodded curtly before swiftly dodging around Vanitas, much to his displeasure. He looked as if he had wanted to battle her again, a lust in his glowing eyes for the blood he never got to take.

While she took to attacking Xehanort, Riku poised himself between her and Vanitas, facing the latter with hatred painted over his features.

"Hmph, I guess you'll have to do. Darkness against darkness- but my darkness is stronger!" Vanitas drew the χ-blade back and slashed out at Riku, sending a humming shockwave ripping through the air. Riku dodge rolled out of the way and slid forward to launch a barrage of slashes at Vanitas, figuring dark powers would not be of much use. He only landed a few hits before Vanitas swiftly jumped back and disappeared in a pool of crimson and black shadows in the ground.

Riku took a few cautious steps toward the shifting darkness before it suddenly shot forward at him, exploding beneath his feet in a pillar of red light with Vanitas flying out of it. He quickly moved away, but Vanitas repeated the same move and tracked him down. The second blast sent Riku flying into a nearby store wall. He fell to his knees and palms along with a few shattered bricks to see the same mass of shadows making its way to him. He ran to it head on, and right before it detonated, he dodge rolled again. The pillar of light missed him, but he was pelted with balls of fire that swirled out from it.

Vanitas stopped the attack, merely looking amused that he had discovered a way to dodge it. He instead thrust the χ-blade above his head in a red explosion that whipped his jet black hair about his pallid face. Riku noticed how similar he and Sora were in appearance for a split second until Vanitas slashed forward another shockwave. It lashed Riku in the back, making him grunt in pain.

_But... but why do they look so much the same? I know Ventus's heart is in Sora, but I still don't know exactly how that connects to Vanitas- which makes it that much harder to defeat him. _

He had no time to ponder for an answer because Vanitas used his momentary distraction to his advantage by tossing the χ-blade into the air and letting it come back down so it hovered in the air before him. He hopped onto it and rode it like a skateboard through the air, letting out bursts of blizzard magic at Riku from all sides. Riku swiftly dodged and reflected each with skill, earning a harsh glare from Vanitas.

Vanitas jumped down from the χ-blade and clenched it in his hand.

"I'm only getting started."

He pointed the blade at the blackened sky, letting a burst of dark light erupt from beneath him and into the ashen clouds. It pulled him into the air, whipping around his body and encasing him. A growl grew into a yell in Vanitas's throat as he let loose devastating pillars of swirling shadows from the one surrounding him. Another Keyblade materialized at his side, hovering by his left hand with its blade pointed backwards.

"How dare you use Sora's Keyblade!" Riku yelled angrily, aqua eyes ablaze. Vanitas simply smirked maliciously in response.

"You're about as thick as Terra. This is Wayward Wind- Ventus's Keyblade."

He could see the lost look beneath Riku's flashing eyes.

"It's like I said before- I am Ventus. The dark half of him. When Xehanort split Ventus's darkness from his heart, I was created. While he's pure light-" he spat the words out- "I am pure darkness. Who knew such an innocent boy could harbor such darkness? If I am a part of Sora, who knows what else lurks inside him. And speaking of Sora..."

Yet another Keyblade formed at his right hand, floating beside the χ-blade facing Riku. Each blade became wrapped in that same dark aura, twitching in anticipation. They moved about as if they had minds of their own, now possessed by the darkness.

"Now _this_ is his Keyblade. It's the perfect one to finish you off with." First grinning madly, he then began another insane laugh.

"You should hear his pathetic screams as he struggles to get out to help his best friend. But it's useless- his heart is overrun by the darkness!"

The two Keyblades whirled around madly as Vanitas summoned countless agitated orbs of shadows. They were surrounded by more columns surging with dark blue electric currents. With a yell, he let loose the churning darkness, the wind's howling earsplitting and clawing at Riku's skin.

Riku dodged a few orbs, their trailing shadows clouding the hazy air. He carefully made his way to Vanitas, but as soon as he would twist around to dodge an orb or two, a pillar would lash him head on or on his side.

"See how powerless you are?" Vanitas's sharp words cut through the air thick with darkness. Riku clenched his fist around the hilt of Way to the Dawn; he was right. Sora's Keyblade was shuddering violently and sporadically at Vanitas's side. Another idea formulated in his mind as he continued to dodge Vanitas's continuous attack.

"Sora, please, if you can hear me, lend me your strength- your light," he yelled, pleading his best friend who he prayed was conscious enough to listen to him.

Vanitas threw his head back and let out another demented laugh.

"He can't hear you where he is. It's pointless. Just give in to the darkness."

Riku pushed away his words, slightly closing his eyes as he whispered to himself.

"I said I could do things on my own, but I need your help. I can't do it alone, Sora." His voice was a breathy murmur.

Suddenly, Sora's Keyblade disappeared from beside Vanitas, much to his angered surprise. It flashed into Riku's left hand, now bathed in warm light.

"You're wrong." He brandished the two Keyblades, each side by side facing Vanitas. They were like two opposites, one wrapped in a cloak of gentle rays and the other surging darkness.

"He can always hear me- there's always a light within the deepest darkness."

Both were pulled back to his sides as he let light and darkness intertwine themselves around his body in a glowing aura.

"We're best friends- bonds like that are never broken."

He launched himself from the ground and towards Vanitas, pushing through the incoming orbs and homing columns with ease. They fell apart into fading shards as he came in contact with them.

He hit Vanitas with a blindingly fast barrage of blows, switching between each blade at every impact. Vanitas was buffeted with endless quick jabs coming from each and every side as Riku slid around him faster than he could follow. Orbs similar to Dark Firaga- though these ones were imbued with light- assailed him from the tips of the two Keyblades Riku held. Pausing for a split second in midair, Riku extended each blade with their respective auras. He sliced at Vanitas, making him slip from his position within the erupting dark pillar. The two Keyblades transformed into thirteen shining swords, each glowing both yellow and blue. They spun around Riku and slashed through Vanitas as they scraped harshly against the χ-blade. They merged back into the Kingdom Key and Way to the Dawn with a bright blue flash. Jumping back, he held his hands out to control the Keyblades from a distance as they positioned themselves at Vanitas's front and back. Riku closed his eyes in concentration while Vanitas struggled in vain. The Keyblades erupted in light, driving themselves into Vanitas.

"My friends are my power!"

Riku's attack ended in a final blast of blinding light, the Keyblades quickly fading away after. Vanitas began to fall to the ground below as the χ-blade slipped from his hand. Riku swiftly wrapped his hand around its hilt as Vanitas hit the ground limply.

The blasting column of shadows fell apart, soon turning into nothing more than a few shreds of fading darkness. The previous gale became a mere transparent memory of Vanitas's power.

Riku descended to the cold stone below, still gripping the χ-blade. As soon as he touched the ground with a single foot, he bounded over Vanitas and to where Aqua was clashing with Xehanort, a central plaza surrounded by newly planted meadows of flowers in stone-lined planters.

"Move, Aqua!" Aqua briefly looked away from fading in and out in a ghoulish green light to attack Xehanort as she left imprints of her entire image in the air. She saw the χ-blade in Riku's hand, and her eyes widened. Flipping backwards, Aqua got out of the way just in time as Riku flew by her and at Xehanort.

_After years of this, it finally ends here. Everything he's done to us- no, this isn't about revenge. It's for my friends- it's about keeping everyone safe. _

The χ-blade pierced straight through Xehanort's chest.

* * *

><p><em>Dundunduuuun~ <em>

_So the part where Riku does all those flashy moves is my lame description of Eternal Session. And sorry for kicking other people out of the fight, but it's hard to write them all in and I feel it's more epic with one on one. Not to mention Riku gets his moment to shine~ _


	21. Closure

_Finally! Gah, I am so lazy. :I Now this has to have be my most favorite chapter of them all to write. ^^ I've decided there will be an epilogue kind of thing next chapter to close it all up. c:_

_Be warned: Major fluff ahead. :I  
><em>

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><p><em>Closure<em>

Darkness enveloped Xehanort's body with writhing claws. His face was frozen in a breathless gasp of horror as Riku withdrew the X-blade from his chest, emotionless. Xehanort staggered forward a step, reaching out with a shaking hand towards Riku. The dark tendrils snaked around his arm. Soon he was completely enshrouded with a cloud of shadows. They pulsed around him with a sort of dormant power until they released their grip on him to float off to the now clearing skies and evaporate.

Grey hair transformed into brown locks. Amber eyes slowly closed and reopened to reveal familiar blue ones. A single pink heart imbued with grey and black followed the darkness's trail and disappeared. His knees buckled and he began a quick descent to the ground. Aqua quickly cut in and caught him under his arms, silently crying into his shoulder as she did.

"Terra!"

At the sound of the long lost name, he blinked a few times and straightened up in her arms.

"...Aqua?"

His voice sounded a bit hoarse, as if it had gone unused for years. She tightened her grip around his waist, burying her face in the spot between his shoulder and neck where his brown locks lightly brushed her blue ones.

"I thought I had lost you forever..."

He lifted his arms, his eyes widening slightly as he flexed his fingers slowly. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her into him. He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes, both rejoicing in his newfound freedom and taking in her scent. Even if he had been in control of his body before, he still hadn't seen her for over eleven long years. Sure, there had been her armor, but it didn't contain any part of her like his had. And he hadn't been the one talking to it; that was Xemnas.

And his armor... He vaguely recalled meeting a young boy, one he now realized had bore an uncanny resemblance to Vanitas, and challenging him. He hadn't been the one he chose, but he proved himself worthy of the Keyblade. Perhaps not all of him had stayed within Xehanort's control. But now it seemed that all of him was in one piece.

"Aqua..." He rested his chin atop her head gently. His voice was quiet and right next to her ear. "I thought I had lost you too, and it was my fault. I always wished I could look for you and Ven without-"

She pulled away from him suddenly with a fierce look on her face.

"I can't believe you would say that!"

Terra looked at Aqua in confusion, mouth slightly open as he tried to find the right words. He couldn't find any, because he wasn't even sure what he had done wrong in the first place. Well, within their short conversation anyways.

"...what?" he managed out. His confused state considerably lessened Aqua's harsh glare into an angry pout. Why did girls have to be so _confusing_?

"I can't believe you would say it was your fault and that you were more worried about us than yourself after all you went through! I mean, it's sw- nice and all, and I'm happy you care, but you should have been thinking of yourself, you know-" She was cut off by Terra's laughter. After blinking a few times, she narrowed her sharp blue eyes at him.

"This is funny?" Terra saw her dangerous look and knew better than to keep laughing. He struggled to suppress it, a few chuckles escaping here and there.

"It's just... you're still you, Aqua. Not only do you look the same, but you're you." Aqua frowned at his words. Terra motioned with his hands in front of him in some sort of peace offering.

"I- I don't mean that in a bad way! I'm- I'm glad... you didn't change." She seemed surprised for a moment before smiling softly. Before she could say anything sappy like "I'm glad you didn't change too" or anything, Terra felt the need to give a relieved and somewhat frustrated murmur under his breath.

"Oy, you are such a girl sometimes..." He automatically regretted it when Aqua put her hands on her hips.

"What's that supposed to mean? And what, I'm not a girl sometimes?" Riku, who had been standing by almost idly with the χ-blade in hand, began laughing at their little spat as well. He could see so many similarities between the two and Sora and Kairi.

"You too Riku?" she sighed in resignation. Watching both boys laugh, she couldn't help but eventually give in to it too. When the laughter died down, Aqua turned to Riku.

"What about Sora?" She was genuinely worried and seemed a bit guilty for not attending to him first.

"Already taken care of." Riku tossed aside an empty Megalixer with his free hand, motioning to the boy lying on the ground next to him. Apparently Riku had dragged him over during the moment of privacy he gave the two. He was no longer Vanitas, but all Sora. Instead of being wounded, he just seemed extremely exhausted even while unconscious.

"But what of Vanitas?" Aqua was serious once again.

"I think Xion took care of that." He looked at his friend and gave a tiny smile.

"I-is she ok?" Roxas limped over with his arm around Naminé's shoulders for support. Donald, Goofy, and Mickey were close behind them.

"Is Xion ok?" he demanded, pulling out of Naminé's grasp, still clutching his stomach a little.

"...I don't know." Riku closed his eyes in regret, fingers tightening around the hilt of the X-blade. Roxas tried to bite back stinging tears without much success. Naminé kneeled by his side comfortingly as he clenched a hand against the ground and leaned over in pain.

"I... I lost them... again..."

_xxx_

Xion felt the world shift around her, the air becoming normal and daylight falling on her face between her bangs. She breathed in the sweet scent of flowers, wrinkling her nose as something tickled it. Her hand automatically flew to her face but instead was caught immediately by whatever was in front of her. She suddenly realized she was still wrapped in the arms of whoever had saved her. She almost didn't want to open her eyes, because she was afraid her savior might disappear and the moment would end. But curiosity won her over in the end, and she opened her eyes to search for those of her savior. Her eyes first found the edges of a black coat and then trailed up to the skin it covered. She saw flashes of familiar dark violet and crimson.

"Axel!" she whispered joyously, gripping him tightly and searching for emerald eyes with wet ones. She could feel him shift ever so slightly. His jade eyes fluttered open slowly, looking down at Xion.

"...Xion?" His voice was soft for once, sounding exhausted.

"...Xion..." he breathed out, finding the strength to pull her closer.

"You saved me again, Axel..." she whispered into his chest.

"What are talking about?" he questioned. Her words had been quiet, but Axel had keen hearing. Xion pushed away slightly to be able to look up at him easily.

"You saved me, Axel. From the darkness back there. I pushed Ventus's darkness back into his heart, but it cast me away instead..." Xion shuddered at the thought of being lost in perpetual darkness. It was difficult to do with Axel's warmth radiating off his body.

"Well... I thought you saved me. So I guess now we're even." That famous smirk of his fell lightly on his lips. Xion shook her head.

"We aren't 'even' though... Even if we both saved each other in a way, you still saved Roxas and I, and Sora." Xion smiled back at him with determination written on her face.

"You're not going to let that go, are you? Well, I guess I'll have to find some way for you to repay me if you won't let it go." Axel shrugged casually while Xion became thoughtful once again.

"But how did we save each other...?"

Axel took a hand from her waist to point at her heart.

"Even if things change, we'll never be apart-"

"...as long as we remember each other," she finished softly, recalling that day, smiling a bit at the memory as well as Axel's uncanny ability to answer questions so vaguely. Roxas had wondered what would happen if they had all run off together. She thought perhaps that was his way of asking if they would even want to run away with him at all.

Xion was pulled from the memories by Axel's hand in front of her face. A tiny lavender flower was pressed between his fingers as he rotated his wrist to examine it curiously. Xion watched the flower in interest as well.

"Aster tataricus..." Axel murmured, emerald eyes still fixed on the soft petals. His eyes looked past the flower for a moment to see Xion's quizzical look.

"Forget-me-not." He grinned slightly, opening his palm to pass her the flower. She brought a hand up to gently take it in her own palm. Her thumb pressed into the leaf gingerly as she stroked its dainty petals.

"...Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured serenely, jaded eyes wandering from the flower to her face, waiting for her response. Xion opened her mouth to agree but found Axel watching her with such a strange, peaceful gaze it made her hesitate.

"...Yes." He continued to be quiet for a few moments before suddenly reverting back to the mischievous and upbeat Axel familiar to her.

"Hey Xion," he called playfully, letting the same smirk play on his lips, making a smile tug at the corners of her mouth at his cheerfulness.

"Yes, Axel?" she called back, watching his emerald eyes.

"I think I've decided how you can pay me back."

Before Xion could react, Axel's hand flew to her face and pulled her lips to his. She could actually feel the smirk on her lips, and how strange it was for it not to be her own. For a moment she was surprised and left Axel hanging in expectation with emerald eyes closed. Then she slid her hands over his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back, letting her fingers get caught in his tangle of fiery hair. Both his hands cradled her face delicately and stroked their fingers against her soft skin. His smirk faded into a soft, normal smile, and her lips curved up to match his. She managed a deep breath before coming back into the passionate kiss with sapphire eyes closed, the sharp scent of cinnamon and flowers lingering in her nose and lungs. Vaguely Xion thought she heard someone talking, or rather yelling, but she was too immersed in Axel's kiss and touch to take much notice. Perhaps Axel had heard it too but chose to ignore it, because he simply pulled her closer as he ran his long fingers through her raven hair. It seemed to last for an eternity, but eventually they had to tear apart from each other with chests heaving.

"Axel... how exactly did we save each other?" Xion spoke quietly, opening her eyes for them to be locked with Axel's.

"Hm..." Axel seemed to be debating with himself on whether to tell her his thoughts or not, and she could tell it was mainly because he enjoyed keeping her guessing.

"You know that your heart was inside me, right?"

His light breath puffed against her cheek. Xion felt a blush creep over her cheeks and looked down a bit sheepishly.

"Mmhmm..."

"Well, I think you just returned the favor for me. Not to mention that perhaps..." He tilted her chin up with a single finger so she looked into his eyes again. "...you might have rubbed off on me a lot during all that time."

"While I was inside you?" Her voice seemed tiny and quiet even to her when compared to Axel's confident one.

"I think it started before that." His smirk came back and pressed against the corner of her mouth and her cheek gently.

"I'll be just fine without a heart- I got to have one again for a while, thanks to you," he whispered in her ear.

"You still have it," she whispered back.

_xxx_

There was a bright flash of light in a planter a ways away from them. Roxas looked up in its direction, pushing himself from the ground slowly. Riku walked over to it cautiously with Roxas following behind him as fast as he could. Riku peered through the flowers and saw streaks of black through their stalks.

"Xion!"

He let the X-blade dematerialize and ran to help her but stopped a few feet from the edge of the planter. Roxas pushed back his pain to run to where Riku had.

"Xion...? Xion!" As he neared he could see spikes of red sticking out of the flowers. "Axel!" Roxas looked ready to jump into the bed of flowers and onto his friends happily, but Riku stopped him with an arm without even turning around. Roxas looked past Riku's arm to find what he gesturing to with his other hand.

"Umm..." Roxas flushed at the sight and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. His hand dropped to his side as he turned to Riku. "I think... I'm gonna go, er, over there. I'll talk to them when they're... done..."

He turned and quickly walked a few steps away, leaving Riku to stand there alone. Naminé came behind him and set a dainty hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly at the gentle touch, but he recognized it as Naminé's.

"Riku..." she started quietly but trailed off. He chuckled sadly to himself. He brought a hand up to lightly brush her fingers with his and let them set there.

"It seems that every girl I like gets her heart taken by another guy. Literally." He wanted to smack himself in the forehead for making the joke but instead just laughed quietly.

"There's someone out there for you, Riku. You just... haven't found her yet."

Riku sighed and took his hand from on top of Naminé's.

"Yeah, that's what they all say, huh?"

"I know you will." She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him on the cheek lightly. "You're a great guy, Riku. I know you'll find someone perfect for you."

The smallest blush spread where she had kissed him. He turned to her with a small smile. "Thanks, Naminé."

Naminé nodded as she smiled softly and walked back to where Roxas stood by Sora alongside Donald, Goofy, and Mickey, throwing a last glance over her shoulder before turning away.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you people can be happy enough with that. x) And the whole aster tataricus thing, if you don't know<em>- _In Japanese floriography, Xion means forget-me-not or remembrance, which was one of the reasons Nomura liked the name._

_On a side note, writing a kissing scene is fun but takes a while, you know? XD Poor Roxas. And even more poor Riku. ;3;_

_So yeah. Your reviews and support are much appreciated. c: Final chapter coming up soon. :'c_


	22. Epilogue: Next Life

_D: I cannot tell you people how sorry I am for disappearing of the face of the... ! I got caught up in school (and all the summer homework I saved till the last minute...) and had barely any writing inspiration. :c I despise this chapter/epilogue with a passion, but it has to end somehow. Again, I'm really sorry about not updating :'(  
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><p><em>Epilogue: Next Life<em>

"You know, you could've just- er- nevermind."

Roxas made a face as he searched for the right words, but upon finding none he let his shoulders fall lax.

"What, you jealous?" Axel smirked as he threw an arm around Xion's shoulder, pressing his lips against her cheek lightly. A tiny twinge of guilt haunted his eyes for a brief moment at the thought that perhaps Roxas actually was jealous, but it disappeared at his words.

"Actually, I..." He blushed and took Naminé's hand in his. She brushed a bang back with the back of her hand and looked up shyly.

He saw Sora standing by grinning stupidly as he scratched the side of his head, most likely thinking of a certain someone who happened to be within Naminé at the moment. Looking down at his feet in concentration, he picked his words slowly and carefully.

"I don't want it to be because it's 'meant to be' because we're parts of Kairi and Sora," Sora blushed fiercely at this, "but I want it to be because it's real. If we can't be real, then at least this can be, can't it?"

His grip tightened on Naminé's hand as he looked up. Axel smiled widely with a proud look at Roxas confessing such things. Almost one that said "I raised him well," but he refused to think of it like that.

"Of course it's real!" Sora was incredulous at his doubt. "If you love someone, you'll know when it's real and you should be with them!"

He finished with an amazingly wide grin, and Riku smacked Sora in the forehead with the palm of his hand. He had been a little apart from the group, somewhat standoffish, though for understandable reasons.

"Maybe you should take advice from yourself once in a while," he said as he rolled his eyes. Everyone giggled and stifled laughter at Sora's deeply red face.

"A-hyuck, maybe there's somethin' you want to tell Kairi?" Goofy grinned slyly (well, as slyly as Goofy possibly can). Donald gave a quack of laughter in agreement.

"Let's not bother Sora about that. Love's not something that can be rushed, ya know?" Mickey chuckled from between Donald and Goofy. "I'm certain you would know that, Donald."

"Y-your Majesty!" he squawked angrily, some of that anger ill-contained. Goofy "ahyucked" and the others joined him in laughter at Donald's expense. Donald stamped a foot in irritation and crossed his wings.

"Your Majesty..." Aqua stepped forward and away from Terra- they had been awfully close since being reunited- with a serious look on her face.

"Oh, you guys don't need to call me that! Just call me Mickey!" He tilted his head to the side with a smile. Aqua smiled back briefly before continuing on.

"Ok, Mickey... what about Ven? Is he still inside of Sora?"

"I don't know." His answer threw a downcast mood over the large group. Xion spoke up from next to Axel.

"I think he is. But I had to lock his darkness away in his heart again. It could be blocking his heart. I'm so sorry..." Xion didn't know the blue-haired woman, but from the hurt in the man who stood beside her and her eyes, she could tell Ven was a very important friend to them. Losing a friend like that and not seeing them for that long a time must have been hard. She knew what it was like, to lose a friend.

"There has to be some way to get his heart back to his own body. We just don't know yet, but I know we will," Mickey said with determination. Aqua's face embodied the same determination with great strength.

"We will. I know we will." Terra's deep voice was calming and reassuring.

"Wait a minute." Something had just occurred to Xion. "What about Roxas, and Naminé? Are they able to be separate from Sora and Kairi?"

The two previously mentioned looked at one another.

"I think I can exist outside of Sora, but I don't know if Naminé can- yet." Roxas gave Naminé a questioning look.

"From what I know, there could be ways for Kairi and me to exist apart from each other. But right now, I honestly have no idea. It'd be safer to do our research before going around and trying to separate me from Kairi."

"Then I'll stay inside Sora until we find a way for you to be your own person." Roxas took both her hands in his and squeezed her fingers with a smile.

"Roxas, you don't-"

"Yes I do. It's not fair for you. Besides, look." He shimmered and disappeared, blue light suddenly encasing Sora. He held the side of his head while looking around dizzily. Within seconds the same blue light materialized in front of Naminé and became Roxas once again.

"I can be separate from Sora anytime I want." He smiled cheekily to ease Naminé's apprehension. A thumb thrown over his shoulder indicated his friends. "So if these goofballs need my help- which I'm sure they will- I can come out any time."

"Way to play the hero, Roxas. Giving it all up for the girl." Axel smirked and shook his head as he put a hand on his hip.

"I guess that makes two of us." Roxas seemed satisfied with Axel's slightly red face.

"Got me there." Axel sighed and put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "But you had better visit us every once in a while."

Roxas gave a curt nod and bright grin, sapphire eyes beaming. "Yeah."

He turned to Naminé again. "We should go."

She smiled softly and nodded.

"Oh yeah, one more thing-" He smirked at his two best friends. "Since I'm able to see a bit of what Sora sees now... Don't ever do that in front of me again."

Axel simply grinned; the sly look told he would be going against more orders very soon.

Roxas only shook his head with a roll of his eyes and turned to go. Hesitantly, with his back still turned, he paused.

"Our next life."

The others looked at him curiously, some with heads tilted to the side.

"This. This is it. It's our next life." He looked back over his shoulder, seeming almost astonished at his own words. "Just like we promised. We- finally found it."

"Yeah. I guess we did." Axel's voice was quieter than normal. A wide, hopeful grin split his face.

"But it's only getting started."

* * *

><p><em>Ok, first thing's first...<em>

_Thank you so, so, sooo much to all you amazing followers and favoriters (is that even a word?) and gah! You people are awesome!_

_**Aika08, Bond of Flame08, caitlinkeitorin, delphigirl689, Destiny's Call, Element's Sole Protector, IenzosShuggoCharra, ItamiAngel-chan, junipersunshine, KH destinybonds18, KHCrazy, Leixym, Musical Darkness, Princess Nexda the Wise, RSV, Taliax (**by the way, I was just looking at your profile the other day -not to seem weird or anything- and I love the history behind your name, since I love Latias as well), **TheRoadtoDawn, wesmile4ever, Willowfur, **and last but not least, **Xoxoroxas, **thank you all so much as;ldkjfl;kdf for favoriting my story. /hands you awesomeness badge_

_Thank you _**Aika08, anime0528, Bond of Flame08, Destiny's Call, DGMSilverAirHead03, fujingodofwind, IenzosShuggoCharra, im-a-tumor (**interesting name /strokes chin)**, Leixym, Oracle's Song, RSV, TheRoadtoDawn, **and **tiredgirl **for alerting! You are all awesome (or perhaps doubly awesome) as well. C: /hands out more badges__

_And so, to answer your questions about Ven... as you can see, no. :C Terribly sorry about that, but I felt it's way to sudden to bring back all those characters. Now with Ven, Roxas, and Namine all still trapped somewhere in a way, it leaves possibilities for a sequel 8D /shot'd/ If all of you'd even want that. I'm not going to write it if no one wants to read it, since I have basically no ideas for it (yet). x)_

_But yet again, you are all amazing people for taking time out of your day to review, etc. my story ;3; I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it, and it was also a fun write as well! But for now, it's all over and it's time for me to work on everything else, so here's me signin' out!_

_~Jordan  
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